An Everly Tale
by A Shot of Amber
Summary: This story is about Serena and Darien if Darien was a prince and Serena was just a commoner who had the luck of falling in love with a prince. Look for the fairy tale.
1. Default Chapter

An Everly Tale Chapter One By A Shot of Amber  
  
Hi! I'm back with a new story. This one takes place in an alternate universe where the scouts don't have any powers. Instead of living in Japan, they live in a made up country that I came up with out of mid air. Anyway please be kind and remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter One  
  
The apartment was a lot bigger then she thought it would be. For the small sum of money that was due every month on rent Serena was getting a nice place.  
  
She walked in the door and set down her purse on the floor. The foyer hallway was tiled in a very nice black and white tile, it could almost be marble but it wasn't. Still it did look nice against the powder blue walls. Serena ran her hand over one of the walls and smiled. She would have to make a note to thank the land lord on how nice her apartment was.  
  
A couple of hours later she wasn't in such a cheerful mood as before. After a quick tour of the place she had gotten down to business. The truck was parked outside and with the help of the moving men she had gotten her furniture and boxes of belongs up four flights of stairs and into the foyer of her new apartment. It had taken two hours and a lot of grumbling on the part of the moving men but they had finally finished leaving Serena to sort everything out.  
  
To cheer herself up, Serena had located and set up her stereo so she would have some music to listen to. Now the heavy sounds of Japanese techno filled the room giving her something to dance to while she set up her bedroom, if you could call making a bed and rearranging a dresser dancing.  
  
Serena smoothed out the last sheet on the bed and moved to pick up the blanket that would go over it when someone knocked at the door. She looked up to see if her ears were playing tricks on her but the person at the door knocked again, this time louder. Serena left the blanket on the bed and stepped over and around the boxes leading out of the bedroom. The person at the door was very impatient because they knocked again this time even louder then before.  
  
"I'm coming!" Serena yelled stepping over a small box leading to the door. She unlocked the chain lock and opened the door. In the hallway stood a cheerful looking blond girl with large blue eyes holding a small cactus plant in her hands. Behind her stood a tall brunette girl holding a plate of cookies.  
  
"Welcome to the building!" They said together holding out their gifts.  
  
Serena took a step back one hand flying to her throat then to the bandanna tied over her hair. "Visitors at a time like this?" She muttered then smiled. "I'm sorry I wasn't really expecting anyone at this time."  
  
"Its okay we understand!" The blond girl replied as she walked in and handed Serena the cactus. "They are really easy to keep since they need very little water."  
  
"Oh it's lovely," Serena replied searching for words.  
  
The blond girl smiled and turned to her friend. "See I told you she would like it."  
  
"Okay fine Mina. I relent, but how can anyone say no to cookies?" The brunette turned to Serena and held out her plate of cookies. "They are fresh baked gingerbread. When I saw you pull up I knew you would be our new neighbor so I started baking immediately so you could have something to snack on while you unpacked."  
  
"Thank you," Serena shifting the cactus to one hand and taking the plate of cookies in the other. "That was very nice of you."  
  
"See," the brunette nudged the blond girl. "I told you she would like them."  
  
"Yea well everyone likes cookies," the blond girl replied.  
  
Serena watched as the two walked out of the foyer into the main room which was still filled with boxes. She sighed and closed the door with one foot before turning to the two girls. "Well since your obviously staying," she muttered to herself then in a louder voice asked, "Would you like some coffee?"  
  
"Yea! We'd love some," the blond girl, Mina," replied turning back to Serena.  
  
"And maybe you could tell me your names since I didn't catch them." Serena walked past the two girls into the small walk in kitchen and set down the cactus and the plate of cookies.  
  
The brunette smiled and walked over to the counter separating the kitchen from the main room. "Sorry I guess we forgot the do that in the rush of first meeting you. Anyway I'm Lita Kino and my roommate over there," she gestured to the blond girl, "is Mina Anio."  
  
"Well it's very nice to meet you," Serena replied giving Lita a smile as she put a filter into the coffee maker. "I'm Serena "Usagi" Tuskino and I just moved here from Japan."  
  
"Wow your from Japan?" Mina asked turning from the where she was standing in front of the fireplace.  
  
"Yea, from Tokyo."  
  
"Wow! I've never met anyone from Japan. Can you say something in Japanese?"  
  
"Um," Serena looked up at the ceiling then back down at the two girls. "Konichiwa Mina-san. Dabijobu?"  
  
"So what did you say?" Lita asked.  
  
"I just said hello Mina and how are you? The san part is to show respect." Serena closed the coffee maker and pressed the on button.  
  
"That is so cool," Mina sighed walking over to where Lita sat and took a seat on one of the stools. "So tell me, why did you move here to Basalt?"  
  
"I got a job as a columnist with a local newspaper out here," Serena replied shifting through a box for coffee cups.  
  
"What's your column about?" Lita asked leaning forward a bit.  
  
"Fashion." Serena laughed. "I'm the new fashion columnist!"  
  
"So you left Japan to move here to a strange country all for a job?" Mina asked changing the subject.  
  
"Yea, I worked for a couple years at the Tokyo Press but I wanted to work on a smaller newspaper. My boss actually found this job for me." Serena pulled three coffee cups out of the box and set them down on the counter. "I was kind of shocked to get the job saying I only had about two years of experience but I got it and here I am!"  
  
"So you moved out here and got an apartment in the same building as us?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"It's fate," Mina snapped her fingers and smiled. "Fate brought you out here to make friends with us. We were meant to be together."  
  
Serena smiled and shook her head. "I don't believe in fate but as for being friends I would like that. It would make this adjusting to a new country and a new language a lot easier."  
  
"Don't you know how to speak English well?" Lita asked.  
  
Serena shook her head. "I know enough English to get me through daily situations but otherwise no. My school didn't teach me enough."  
  
"Then you'll need Mina. She's great with the English language."  
  
Mina nodded in response. "I can help you with any language problems you have."  
  
Serena smiled. "I think moving here was a very good idea after all."  
  
"Of course it is! With friends like us nothing is a bad idea," Mina replied happily.  
  
Serena smiled and picked up the coffeepot. Maybe moving to Basalt was not such a bad idea after all.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The next morning found her in bed fast asleep in a dream land where she didn't have to look forward to a day of unpacking. The dream was perfect until the ringing of the phone woke her up.  
  
Serena didn't hear the first ring but she did hear the second. It was loud and persistent. Serena groaned something in Japanese and reached over for the telephone.  
  
"Moshi moshi? I mean hello?"  
  
"Serena? Are you still asleep?" It was Lita. Her calm voice filled the line.  
  
"Oh hi Lita. I always sleep in on Sundays," Serena replied shifting onto her back.  
  
"Oh well Mina and I were going to go out to breakfast and we thought you might want to come with us. You know get a look at the town."  
  
"If you give me half an hour to wake up and get dressed I'd love to."  
  
"Great! We'll pick you up at your place. See you then." Lita hung up the phone.  
  
Serena smiled and placed her phone back on the hook. She stared at the ceiling for a minute before climbing out of bed and heading towards a box of her clothes. It was going to a busy day.  
  
A half an hour later Serena sat on the couch sipping a cup of coffee she had made to wake her up while she waited for Mina and Lita to pick her up. The apartment was crowded with boxes but when everything was unpacked Serena had a feeling it would still feel empty. The apartment was at the top of the building. It was rather nice, a big loft apartment with one bedroom, a main room, and a smaller den and bathroom. What she loved most about the place was the large bay windows along on wall that gave her a view of the city and the river that was near by.  
  
Basalt was a small country between the border of France and Italy. Serena had never heard of it until she got the job at the local newspaper. Before she had moved to Basalt she had thought she would always be at the Tokyo Press. That was until her boss told her about the job. It was a long shot but she wanted it and she won. She got the job and after a tearful goodbye with her parents Serena had climbed onto a plane and came to Basalt. Her new boss, Helen had lined up the apartment for her so she would have someplace to live when she got there.  
  
Serena was excited to go to work tomorrow. On the phone her boss Helen had seemed like a nice person. She was excited to have Serena start out there and promised to go easy on her.  
  
"Don't believe what the others will say about me. I'm not really an ogre." Helen had said when they talked on the phone.  
  
Serena smiled at the memory. That had been in Japan before she left. Now here she was in a new country, in a new home about to go out with her new friends. Serena took a sip of her coffee then stopped as she heard the knock on the door. She quickly set down the coffee cup on the table in front of her and got up.  
  
"I'm coming!" Serena called as she picked up her purse from the hallway table and walked over to the door. Mina and Lita stood on the other side both looking wide awake and happy. Something Serena wished for, the wide awake part that was.  
  
"Are you ready to go?" Mina asked happily as she stepped back while Serena shut the door.  
  
"Yea I am. So where are we going?"  
  
"I thought we would go to this small café we like, Café Benot. They serve breakfast the way it should be made," Lita replied.  
  
"The Basalt way," Mina added.  
  
Serena laughed and followed the two girls towards the stairs. "It sounds great. I've never had breakfast the Basalt way before."  
  
"Then your in for a treat. You know Lita works there also."  
  
"Really? Are you a waitress?" Serena asked turning towards the taller girls.  
  
"Actually I'm a chef," Lita replied blushing slightly.  
  
"A chef? Wow that's really great. I can barely boil water." Serena smiled in genuine interest. "If you ever want to come to dinner you can see how bad of a cook I really am."  
  
"Then I'm afraid I can't come. You see cooking is my first love and I would hate to see someone kill it," Lita replied good-naturedly.  
  
Serena smiled and turned towards Mina. "So what do you do?"  
  
The girls walked out the front door into the sunshine with Lita leading the way to the restaurant.  
  
"Well I'm a model and a singer but for now I work as a secretary in a day care center."  
  
"So your doing all three?" Serena asked as they stopped at a street corner.  
  
"No she's just a secretary and she hates it." Lita replied.  
  
"I can't stand kids, they are so annoying but the job pays good," Mina added as they crossed the street.  
  
"So you took a job you hate?"  
  
"I had to, my singing career isn't doing so good. I had to take what I could. Its not easy to be a singer in today's world."  
  
"So that's your dream? To be a famous singer?" Serena asked turning away from the building she was looking at.  
  
"No I want to be more then a singer. I want to an idol. I want to act and sing and model and make people's dreams come true through my dreams." Mina stretched her arms out wide. "I want everyone to know my name."  
  
"Wow, that sounds like a great dream," Serena replied honestly.  
  
"I hope it can come true someday," Mina sighed dropping her arms to her side again.  
  
"I'm sure it will. If mine can then yours can most definetly." Serena turned to Lita. "Since were on the topic of dreams then what is yours?"  
  
Lita smiled and blushed. "Mine is no where as big as Mina's but someday I want to open a restaurant of my very own."  
  
"Lita is one of the best cooks you have ever seen and tasted. She does all the cooking at our place since I can't do anything remotely resembling cooking," Mina added.  
  
"Are you going to be cooking for us at the restaurant?" Serena asked.  
  
Lita smiled and shook her head. "I have the day off today so I'm afraid not. Instead Eddie will be in charge, but he's a great cook to so don't worry."  
  
Serena smiled back at Lita and looked up at the restaurant. It was a small brick building with an outdoor café section screened off by a metal fence and filled with small white tables underneath forest green umbrellas. Because it was full inside the girls got a table underneath one of the umbrellas at small table.  
  
Lita knew everyone who was sitting around them including the waiters and waitresses that walked past. The three girls ordered a pot of coffee and food before going back to getting to know each other.  
  
"You should let us take you on a tour of the city after breakfast. Basalt is a really nice place to see in the spring."  
  
"I would love that but I have so much unpacking to do still I'm afraid I'll be busy all day," Serena replied sheepishly.  
  
"Then at least let us help you." Mina replied persistently. "It would make the work go faster."  
  
Serena shook her head and took a sip of coffee. "That's really nice of you to offer but I'll be okay. I can get it done by myself and any way I'm sure there are other things you do then helping my lug boxes around all day."  
  
"Yea, we'll let her unpack by herself, I'm sure we'll just get in the way," Lita added.  
  
"You just say that because you don't want to help," Mina shot back.  
  
"Guilty," Lita replied holding up both hands, "but I'm sure Serena would know where she wants to put things better then we would."  
  
"That's true, it may take longer but at least I will know where I want everything to go and anyway I don't mind if it takes me awhile, it will give me something to do."  
  
"Well it was just an offer," Mina replied as the waiter came over and set down their plates.  
  
"And it was very nice offer too," Serena replied as she picked up her fork and smiled at her new friend.  
  
Mina smiled back then turned to her breakfast. The three girls moved onto other topics while they ate including talking about the royal family of Basalt.  
  
"Did you know that their main residence is here? I think the royal family is even living there right now."  
  
"Mina's interested in that kind of thing. You know a rich royal family and all. Me personally, I could care less. I think its all over hyped about them and their many scandals," Lita added taking a bite of her scrambled eggs.  
  
"They have a lot of problems?" Serena asked looking across the table at Lita.  
  
"Well their son does, he's forever getting into trouble. They say he can never be alone, he has a million girlfriends."  
  
"Sounds like he's got intimacy issues," Serena muttered.  
  
"He probably does, I don't know," Lita replied as she added more sugar to her second cup of coffee.  
  
"You know I once had a friend like that. He was forever sleeping around with anything in a skirt. Then one day he got a girl pregnant." Mina stopped and looked up from her cup of coffee at the other two.  
  
"So what happened to him?" Lita asked.  
  
"Well," Mina set down her cup on the table top and folded her arms. "Her father found out and they were forced to get married. The last I heard about him was that they were still married and she was expecting their third child. Of course," Mina tapped her chin with one finger, "that was about five years ago."  
  
"Well the royal prince hasn't gotten anyone pregnant yet but he's had his share of scandals. They say he will never settle down and run this country properly," Mina sighed.  
  
"What I heard and what I learned was that the royal prince will only become king once he finds and settles down with a proper wife. Is that right?" Serena asked turning to Lita.  
  
"Yes that is," Lita picked up her bagel and took a bite. "Only I doubt he will ever find anyone. The girl that he will marry better be pretty special for him to stop his roaming ways."  
  
"I wonder," Serena mummered resting her chin in her hand, "what kind of girl that will be."  
  
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you. 


	2. An Everly Tale Two

An Everly Table Chapter Two By A Shot of Amber  
  
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Two  
  
He watched him bounce the ball once then twice on the ground. His arm tightened up, fingers holding onto the handle as his opponent bounced the ball one last time on the ground then swung forward and hit it.  
  
Darien stepped back and swung his racket hitting the small green ball as it sailed over the net onto his side. The ball and the racket connected for one moment then separated as the ball sailed back over the net onto his opponents side where it flew past and hit the fence.  
  
"Score! I win!" Darien pumped his fist in the air then stepped forward over to the net.  
  
His opponent grinned and walked up to Darien. "Your quite a player, I surely thought I had you beat." He held out his hand to Darien.  
  
"Yea right Andrew, you knew I was going to beat you," Darien replied taking Andrew's hand in his own and shaking it firmly before he let go and wiped the sweat away from his eyes. "Whew! I'm boiling up."  
  
"So I guess your to hot to go take a dip in the pool? I know I need one," Andrew replied good-naturedly.  
  
"Never, I'm never to hot to go swimming. I'll race you there." Darien dropped his racket on the ground and took off, laughing at Andrew who was protesting the unfairness of the situation.  
  
Darien just laughed and continued to run. It felt good to stretch his muscles after a long hour of playing tennis. Especially after all the pain he had gone through last night.  
  
Darien wrinkled his nose as he remember the dinner party his mother had held in honor for him. There had been at least thirty eligible young womyn there, all around his age, all of royal decree, and all boring.  
  
Darien turned his head to see if Andrew was following him, he was. Darien laughed out loud and ran even faster.  
  
The dinner had been torture. All the ladies were sparkling in their glittery best decked out in their royal jewels while they giggled and asked him of his many accomplishments. "Oh Sir Endymion I heard that you are the most excellent squash player, perhaps you show me some time." "Oh Sir Endymion, your mother was just telling me that you loved children! That's so nice since I love them too!"  
  
Darien ran through the gate into the pool area and pulled off his shirt before diving in. Last night had been awful with all those ladies simpering and flirting over him. He had been forced to bow to each one just like the prince in Cinderella. He had endlessly bowed with one hand on his ascot while he gamely smiled at each lady in turn. The thing was that they were not ugly, in fact many of these ladies were very beautiful and Darien would have never mind sleeping with them, if it was only for sex, but it wasn't. Marriage was forever and Darien could not see himself waking up to the same body every morning for the rest of his life.  
  
"Darien you run to fast!" Andrew gasped as he ran into the pool area and collapsed onto a deck chair.  
  
"Or maybe you run to slow. You know it wouldn't hurt to get some exercise once in awhile Andrew," Darien replied has he swam up to the side of the pool.  
  
"I play tennis with you every morning and swim with you almost every afternoon, how much more exercise would I need?" Andrew placed his hand over his heart to still its frantic beating and leaned back in the chair. " Who knew one game of tennis could be so harsh."  
  
Darien laughed and dived underneath the water again. He swam the length of the pool then came back for air to find Andrew still in the same position. "Why don't you cool off in the pool? We can have a race to see who gets to the other end first."  
  
"No thanks," Andrew shook his head and sat up. "I'm done with racing you."  
  
"Wuss," Darien pretended to pout.  
  
"I wouldn't call me a wuss when you're the real one," Andrew replied coyly.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Darien asked immediately getting suspicious.  
  
"I mean that you don't even have the guts to tell your mother that you have no plans to get married."  
  
Darien crossed his arms on the pool deck and slightly raised his body out of the water. "I'll tell her someday. Its just that she puts so much heart into me getting married and having children."  
  
"She wants the family generation to go on. She's looking for a heir," Andrew replied solemnly.  
  
"I think its more then that. Ever since father died she's been anxious for me to get fall in love and have a marriage that was happy as her own."  
  
"The king and the queen did have a happy marriage."  
  
"And so mother wants the same for me. And in order to accomplish that she pushes every available girl of royal decree in my face hoping I fall in love with one of them."  
  
"Obviously the queen doesn't understand that that way doesn't that work."  
  
"I'll know when I find that girl. It will just hit me like bam," Darien demonstrated by hitting his fist on the pool deck," lightning and in that moment I will know that that is the girl for me."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Serena closed the door behind her and skipped down the steps onto the sidewalk.  
  
She had been in Basalt for exactly two weeks now and was starting to really like it. Her job at the newspaper was going great. She had a million ideas for her column which was getting good hype. Her boss Helen had told her on the first week that a lot of people were responding positively to her column. Secretly Serena was very pleased by this. She had hoped that she would please Helen.  
  
Helen was in her mid thirties with long auburn hair that fell to mid back. She was a tall domineering presence in the news room. Serena was awestruck by her new boss but aiming to please. Six days a week she went into the news room and wrote out a column worthy of Helen's praise. On Sundays she was off and able to do whatever she pleased. Today was no different.  
  
Serena walked past the small café where Lita worked. She loved it but today she was headed for a different place. A slightly larger café just down the street from her house that was still in the center of town. Serena was hoping to get some ideas for her column while she had lunch by herself. She could have invited Mina or Lita but Lita was busy with work and Mina was out somewhere that day and personally Serena felt she needed some time away from the two.  
  
In her time being in Basalt they had gone out to dinner, lunch, and breakfast together along with going shopping and even to the clubs in the bigger city of St. Charles. Mina and Lita had both decided that Serena needed a boyfriend. When she had revealed that she had never had a serious boyfriend before the two girls decided that they would devote their free time to finding her one. Already Serena had gone on three blind dates set up by Mina and Lita. The first one Tony was a waiter at the café where Lita worked. He had the same kind of black hair as that American singer Elvis and none of the charm. The second one named Rob was something close to a mean drunk. On the first night he had blatantly invited himself to her apartment and asked her if she was interested in a romantic night with him. Serena had left the restaurant right after that and walked the whole way home fuming mad. The third one Gary had been really nice except he had one little problem, he was married, actually in the middle of a messy divorce brought on by the fact that his wife was seeing another man. When it came to love Serena was not a main player in the field.  
  
Serena sighed and adjusted her sunglasses on her nose as the café came into sight. She had to admit that she was lonely for male company but it wasn't going to come in the form of blind dates. Instead she needed to find a man for herself, and even if it took time she would find someone, someday.  
  
"Just one today for lunch?" The waiter standing behind the podium asked her picking up a menu.  
  
"Yes please. For the outdoor café," Serena replied.  
  
"Follow me," he tucked the menu underneath his arm and led her through a maze of tables to one underneath a sky blue umbrella.  
  
Serena took a seat and set her bag on the ground next to her. She took the menu from the waiter and smiled up at him as he turned and walked away. Serena scanned the area around her. It was slightly empty with a few couples sitting nearer to the door and a rather handsome looking man wearing sunglasses and reading a book sitting closer to her. Serena let her eyes rest on him a moment before she turned back to the menu and begin to scan her choices.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Darien noticed her right away. He had never seen a girl with so much hair before. It was long and blond and pulled up into the strangest hair do.  
  
' Like spaghetti and meatballs,' he thought to himself.  
  
She was a pretty thing with a thin waist and good sized breasts. Two things he liked in womyn. She sat down at a table near him he noticed and proceeded to look around. He was staring at his book when her eyes fell on him. He could feel her gaze for a longer time then she had looked at the others in the restaurant before she turned back to her menu.  
  
Darien looked up from his book again, she had removed her sunglasses. He could see large blue eyes starred by thick dark eyelashes. He could feel his breath catch in his throat. Boy was she pretty. Maybe if he played his cards right he could land her in his bed.  
  
"Your food sir," a waitress wearing a tight white blouse set down his lunch and walked off.  
  
"Or maybe I'll wait till after lunch," Darien replied to himself as he picked up his fork.  
  
Serena set down the fork on her plate and pushed it away from her. That had been a very good lunch. She had had the chicken salad and could safely say it was delicious. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the dark haired guy was still there sitting at his table with a relaxed manner still reading the same book. Serena smiled, he was really cute with that thoughtful expression on his face. She reached down for her purse to pull out her wallet. Her hand slipped inside the bag and came out empty. Suddenly her blood froze in her veins as she groped around through her purse and still came up empty. Serena opened the bag wider and searched even more but she still came up empty.  
  
Serena sat back in her chair and dropped her head back. What was she going to do? She didn't have any money to pay for lunch! Blindly thinking that she could go and get money from her house Serena stood up and headed towards the exit.  
  
"Excuse me miss where are you going?" The waiter's voice sounded very snooty and cold as he stepped in front of her and blocked her exit.  
  
"I'm so sorry but I forgot my wallet and I was just going to get it from my apartment then I was going to come straight back, honest I was," Serena replied holding her bag up to show that it was empty.  
  
"Well this is an unfortunate mistake," the waiter replied putting his hands behind his back and rocking slightly on his feet.  
  
"I know and I'm so sorry but if you just let me pass I promise I'll come right back with the money," Serena babbled on as she tried to get past but the waiter stopped her by blocking her way again  
  
. "I'm afraid that's not possible," he picked up a dirty dish from the table next to him. "Instead if you just want to follow me to the kitchen I'm sure they would love some help with washing these."  
  
"What you want me to wash dishes!" Serena cried looking shocked.  
  
"I don't think you have much of a choice."  
  
"Yes she does. I'll pay for her."  
  
Serena turned around to see the dark haired guy standing behind her pulling some money out of his wallet. "How much is her bill?"  
  
"Eight euros," the waiter replied sounding slightly shocked and maybe a little disappointed.  
  
"Alright here's the money for her lunch and mine." He handed the waited a small wad of bills then took Serena's elbow and led her out of the restaurant.  
  
Serena was in shock and only able to follow him lamely down the street. She looked up at her savior, he was wearing a pair of blue jeans and black button up shirt with long sleeves. Closer up she could see that the sunglasses he wore were actually quite expensive and that his hair fell into bangs over his forehead.  
  
"I can't believe you actually forgot your wallet. How old are you?"  
  
"It's a common mistake," Serena replied wrenching her elbow out of his hand and stopping on the street corner.  
  
Darien turned around and looked at her. "Well I guess only a meatball head like you would actually perform such a common mistake and forget her wallet."  
  
"Meatball head? That's a very nice name to call me," Serena replied sarcastically.  
  
Darien groaned and ran his hands through his hair. This was not going well, if he was going to ask this girl out then he better think of a better way then insulting her.  
  
"Look I'm sorry I called you that name. Instead lets start over, "he held out his hand," my name is Darien and I would be charmed to have yours."  
  
Serena looked down at the offered hand and felt the anger drain out of her. She took his hand in her own and shook it firmly. "My name is Serena."  
  
"Don't you have a last name Miss Serena?"  
  
Serena laughed and let go of his hand. "I tell you mine if you tell me yours."  
  
For some reason Darien grimaced. "Its Shields," he replied after a short pause.  
  
Serena personally wondered why he paused before giving her his name but decided to ignore it. "Mine is Tuskino."  
  
"Tuskino? Is that Chinese?"  
  
"No Japanese."  
  
"Yea Japanese, that's what I said," he replied.  
  
Serena raised an eyebrow then burst out laughing. Darien smiled down at her from his height. He knew he was going to like her.  
  
"So if you finished with lunch maybe you would like to get some coffee with me?"  
  
Serena stopped laughing. "I would love to but I still haven't paid you back and I don't have money on me."  
  
"That's okay I'm loaded and I won't take no for answer and lets just think of it as for you paying me back for lunch."  
  
Serena sighed and shook her head. "I don't call that a fair deal, but alright." She smiled up at him. "You lead the way."  
  
"Wonderful!" We'll go to this small place I know called Starbucks, they have a great cappuccino."  
  
"Starbucks? I thought you were going to take me to a quaint little coffee place that is only in this city. They even have a Starbucks or thirty in Tokyo," Serena replied wrinkling her nose.  
  
"Yes well here in this city we have one Starbucks and no coffee shops. No one can ever compete with Starbucks."  
  
Serena laughed and shook her head. "Lead the way and I'll follow."  
  
Darien smiled and held out his elbow for her quite like a prince would do for his lady. Serena slipped her arm through and followed him down the street past the café where the waiter was watching them closely. He breathed a sigh of relief when they walked past without even looking at him.  
  
"So what line of work are you in?" Serena asked a little while later. They sat inside the Starbucks Café in squashy soft armchairs next to each other.  
  
"I'm currently unemployed right now," Darien replied taking a swig of his cappuccino.  
  
"Really? Isn't that a little tough to live on? Not having a job I mean."  
  
"Actually no it's not. I live with my mother so she pays for everything and gives me an allowance like the good boy I am."  
  
Serena laughed and shook her head. "Well I wish I was that lucky to be unemployed and have a mother to pay for everything. No," she shook her head," instead I work at the local newspaper. I'm a columnist. Have you ever read the Local Inc?"  
  
"No, I find that all that fashion advice is a little boring for me," Darien replied.  
  
"Well I write all that boring junk."  
  
"Great! Make me feel like a giant fool," Darien sighed.  
  
Serena just laughed and placed her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I can understand that you don't read my column. Not a lot of men do."  
  
Darien didn't reply but instead looked down at her hand on his arm. She had a small white hand with a silver ring on her second finger with a garnet setting.  
  
Serena noticed he was looking down at her hand and quickly blushed and moved it away. Perhaps he didn't want her touching him. "I'm sorry I didn't mean too...I mean..."  
  
"Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"  
  
"What?" Serena looked up at him to see that he was staring right into her blue eyes with his own.  
  
"I'm free tomorrow night and I know this great Chinese place and I was wondering if you wanted to go there with me tomorrow night," Darien replied.  
  
"I would love to," Serena breathed happily. He had asked her out!  
  
"Wonderful, I'll pick you up at your place at seven, dress to impress."  
  
"Right." Serena nodded then turned away from him slightly as she wrapped her hands around her coffee cup and smiled. Perhaps she had finally found someone in Basalt.  
  
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, and suggestions to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you. 


	3. An Everly Tale Three

An Everly Tale Chapter Three By A Shot of Amber  
  
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you.  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Three  
  
"And then he took out his wallet and handed the waiter some money." Serena picked up her glass and took a sip of her drink. "It was kind of shocking, a perfect stranger paying for my lunch then asking me out to dinner with him."  
  
"So he asked you to dinner right there in front of the waiter?" Lita looked up from the vegetables she was chopping for the salad.  
  
"No he waited until we were out of the restaurant."  
  
"Wow." Lita set down the knife and picked up the cutting board. "I have to say that you are extremely lucky. Its not often that a guy approaches a strange girl." She dumped the vegetables into the salad bowl. "So what does he look like?"  
  
"He's taller then you with black hair and storm blue eyes. I already described him to the best that I can what more can I say?" Serena replied.  
  
"Nothing, I would like to see him though. If he is as handsome as you say then I might be interested."  
  
Serena laughed. "If he turns out to be really boring and self centered then you can have him."  
  
"I doubt it, if you already went out on one date with him and had a great time..." Lita replied but was interrupted by Serena.  
  
"Wait who says I went out on a date with him? It was just coffee."  
  
"Yea but having coffee with him does count has a date and if I remember properly you were all smiles when I saw you afterwards."  
  
"It was really nothing." Serena smiled anyway as she remembered the date. "We had coffee and talked and he asked me out for tonight."  
  
"And you said yes?" Lita asked.  
  
"Of course I did," Serena replied.  
  
"Good girl. You need to go out more. You'd have more fun if you have a boyfriend."  
  
"Dating is overrated." Serena took another sip of her diet coke. "I never seem to have fun when I go out on a date."  
  
"Well then we have to make sure that tonight you do have fun." Lita picked up the salad bowl and walked out of the kitchen into the dining room where she set it down on the table. "But first lets have lunch."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"So you ended up paying for this strange girl you've never met before and then asked her out for dinner?"  
  
Darien nodded and took a bite of his sandwich.  
  
Andrew sat back in his chair and threw his napkin on the table top. " I can't believe you did that. The Darien I know hates dating."  
  
Darien swallowed his bite and set down the sandwich. "I asked her out because I wanted to. It's not a big deal. It's not like I've never been on a date."  
  
"Yea but you hate dating and you never go out with a girl unless you know your going to get something out of it."  
  
Darien laughed and picked up his sandwich again. "Who knows I might get something out of her if I'm lucky."  
  
"I doubt it, the girl you described sounds to sweet and pure to fall into your devious traps." Andrew picked up his own sandwich and took a bite. "Usually you end up dating what I like to call the village ho's."  
  
"You give them no credit Andy."  
  
"Yea but how can I when all they want to do is sleep with you. I personally think they are trying to compromise you into a sticky situation."  
  
"Yes and then when my mother finds out I'll have to marry one of them. It's a wonderful thing that the condom was invented. I never have to worry about pregnancy. Either I wear it or the girl gets to spend the night alone."  
  
"Yes but there is always the chance that it may fall off or even worse break and then where would you be?"  
  
"Mommy loves me and so does fate. I never have to worry about anything happening and who knows," Darien's face took on a funny look. " She may be the one."  
  
"The one?" Andrew leaned forward in his chair already quite interested. "You thinking you have found the one? I'm a little surprised at you Darien, most of the time you think of girls as play creatures and nothing else. Could it be that you have found the love of your life?"  
  
"Hardly, I barely know her."  
  
"Well then don't play with your words like that. For a minute there I thought you had found the one." Andrew sat back in his chair and picked up his drink. "I don't want to loose you to a girl."  
  
"That will never happen. She's just another pretty girl that I'm going to date and drop once I'm done with."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Serena stared at her reflection in the mirror. She turned first one way then the other. Serena chewed on her bottom lip and turned around in a circle before sighing. The outfit made her look fat. She quickly began to take it off.  
  
"This won't do," Serena huffed as she pulled off the baby pink t- shirt.  
  
"What won't do?" Mina walked into the room carrying a glass of iced tea.  
  
"This outfit and every other outfit I've tried on tonight. They all make me look fat." Serena replied as she threw the t-shirt into a corner.  
  
Mina sighed and set down her drink on the nearest surface close to her. "You're being impossible. Why don't you wear the white blouse with your black pants? You looked great in that?"  
  
"Because what if he's taking my somewhere fancy? Then he'll be embarrassed to be seen with me?"  
  
"Alright," Mina shifted through a pile of clothes at her feet and removed a dark blue velvet dress. "How about this? Its very sexy and you'd look great in it."  
  
"But its to fancy. What if the restaurant is casual? Then I'll be overdressed!" Serena threw up her hands and sat down on the bed.  
  
"Fine." Mina threw down the dress. "I don't know then. You have said no to everything I brought up."  
  
"I know, I know." Serena sighed and fell backwards on the bed. "I just wish he would call so I could ask him how fancy this place is.  
  
Suddenly the phone rang. The two girls looked over to the bedside table where the small white phone stood. The phone rang again prompting Serena to sit up and reach for it.  
  
"Maybe its him," Mina whispered as Serena picked up the phone and pressed the on button.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Serena its Darien."  
  
"Its Darien," Serena mouthed to Mina then turned back to the phone. "Hi Darien! I was just thinking of you."  
  
"Well isn't that nice." Darien elbowed Andrew who was sitting next to him. "Anyway I was just calling to confirm that we are on for tonight."  
  
"Of course," Serena motioned Mina out of the room. "Go get on the other line!" She whispered as she covered the phone with her hand.  
  
Mina ran out of the room to the kitchen where she picked up the phone and gave Serena a thumbs up sign. Serena removed her hand and smiled into the phone. "I'm really glad you called because I was just getting dressed and I realized I had nothing to wear, I mean I didn't know what to wear, I mean, oh brother." She hit herself on the head as Darien laughed on the other line.  
  
"I'm sorry you don't have anything to wear. Maybe it would help if I told you how fancy this place is."  
  
"That would be great," Serena replied as she shot a dirty look at Mina who was laughing her head off in the other room.  
  
"Its not fancy so you can dress casual so don't worry. I'll see you at seven?"  
  
"Of course I'll be waiting." Serena got up off the bed and motioned for Mina to come back in the room. "I'll see you then. Bye!" She hung up and dropped the phone on the bed.  
  
"Bye." Darien clicked his cell phone off and turned to Andrew. "See I told you she was genuine."  
  
"I'll be the judge of that when I find out how long you two last."  
  
"Mina! Get in here! I need help!" Serena yelled jumping off the bed towards the closet.  
  
Mina ran into the room. "Okay since he said casual we'll need blue jeans and a nice blouse."  
  
"Something sexy but not to sexy," Serena added as she fell to her knees and begin to shift through her clothes.  
  
"Tight blue jeans that accent your long legs," Mina started.  
  
"I don't have long legs," Serena interrupted in a dry voice.  
  
"And a sexy blouse that will make him want to see more," Mina replied ignoring the interruption.  
  
"How about this?" Serena help up a low cut white blouse with long tight sleeves. "Its sexy yet casual."  
  
Mina studied the blouse with a serious air. She rubbed her chin, tapped her foot on the floor then smiled, and gave thumbs up. "Perfect."  
  
Serena smiled and stood up. She threw the blouse on the bed then moved over to her dresser where her jeans were. "I wish I had more time to get ready. He'll be here in an hour." She muttered as she pulled open a drawer.  
  
"Then we'll just have to get ready all the faster." Mina replied.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Darien adjusted his collar then looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. This was her door, apartment 4C. He looked down at the flowers in his hand. Daises, hopefully she liked daises. She had to. All girls loved flowers.  
  
Mina walked out of the bedroom followed by Serena who had been carefully dressed and made up till she couldn't recognize the girl who looked at her in the mirror. In a pinch Mina was a wonderful friend. Just as Serena was about to go crazy because she thought she looked bad, Mina had sat her down and fixed her up.  
  
"I better get going. He should be here any moment." Mina picked up her coat from the chair where she had thrown it. "I'll talk to you later and have fun! I want to hear about everything." She waved her hand and walked to the door and opened it up just as Serena turned back towards the bedroom.  
  
Darien had just raised his hand to knock on the door when he heard voices and saw the doorknob turn. The door swung open revealing a girl with long blond hair carrying a coat in one hand. She stopped short and stared up at the tall handsome guy in front of her.  
  
"Hi, I'm looking for Serena." He smiled although he felt slightly uncomfortable with this girl staring up at him with her mouth open. "This is Serena's apartment?"  
  
"Serena?" Mina mummered. Her mind ran over a list of her friends. Suddenly she smiled, a wide dazzling smile. "Oh yea, Serena! She's in the bedroom! I'll call her. Hey Serena your date is here!" Mina called back then turned back to Darien. "My name is Mina, I'm just a friend of Serena's who is leaving right now. It was nice meeting you." Mina slipped past him and headed down the hallway towards the stairs. Gosh was he hot.  
  
Serena walked out of the bedroom to see Darien standing at the door watching Mina walk away. He turned back and smiled at her. "Your friend is something else." He smiled and walked into the room.  
  
Serena grinned. "She's vivacious as I like to say it. I'm sorry she didn't invite you in so please come in."  
  
"Its quite alright," Darien replied as he closed the door behind him and walked into the room. "Here I bought you these." He held out the flowers towards her.  
  
Serena's face brightened as she stepped forward and took the flowers in her hand. "They are beautiful! I love daises!"  
  
Darien breathed a sigh of relief as Serena took buried her face in the flowers then smiled up at him. "I'm just going to put these in a vase. Please have a seat." Serena headed towards the kitchen while Darien looked around him for a chair before taking a seat on the couch.  
  
She had a nice place. He looked around him. It was a rather large loft apartment with these beautiful large bay windows that looked out over the city.  
  
"I'm really sorry if Mina did anything embarrassing. She was here to help me get ready. I didn't think you would get here so early." Serena walked out of the kitchen holding the vase of flowers. She set them down on the glass topped coffee table then sat down next to him.  
  
"I'm sorry if I caused you any inconvenience getting here early. I just didn't want to miss a minute of our date," Darien replied casually.  
  
Serena smiled then stood up again. "Then if you don't want to miss a minute then we should get going! I don't know about you but I'm starving."  
  
Darien laughed and stood up also. "Please don't tell me you haven't eaten a thing all day in anticipation of our date."  
  
"I had breakfast but that was so many hours ago." Serena replied. She walked into the foyer and took her coat off the hook where it lay.  
  
"Then we better get the restaurant before you die of starvation." Darien followed her into the foyer and opened the door for her. Serena smiled and walked through while Darien followed and shut it behind them. " Is it locked?" He asked pointing to the closed door.  
  
"Yea it is," she replied.  
  
They walked down the four flights of stairs to the main doors. Outside it was beginning to get dark out. There was a slight chill to the air but nothing terribly cold. Serena stopped on the bottom step and looked around for his car. Darien just walked past her towards a motorcycle parked on the curb.  
  
"Are you coming?" He asked turning towards her.  
  
"I thought we would be taking your car," Serena replied nervously. She had never been on a motorcycle before but she had heard horror stories about them.  
  
"I have a car but I thought this would be more fun to ride. " Darien swung one leg over the machine and climbed on. "Come on it will be fun." He held one hand out towards her.  
  
Serena hesitated for a second while a million thoughts ran through her head but in the end she walked over to him and took his hand. She threw a leg over and climbed on the machine behind him and gently put her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"No put your hands around my waist. When were driving you'll just fall off if you don't hold on tightly." Darien took her hands and wrapped them around his waist. Serena blushed as she felt the muscles of his abs but didn't say anything.  
  
Darien started the engine and kicked off the kick stand. Serena tightened her grip around his waist and buried her face in his leather jacket. They took off from the curb roaring down the street. It wasn't very long till Darien was slowing down until he stopped in front of small building with a large glass window.  
  
Serena opened her eyes and looked around her. Darien had propped up his bike and was climbing off. He turned towards her and held out his hand. Serena smiled and took it. She climbed down onto the street, a little surprised at how weak her legs felt. Together still holding hands they walked into the restaurant. Darien seemed to know the waiter who took them to a table right in front of the window.  
  
"So what do you do?" Serena asked a little while later over her plate of steamed chicken and vegetables.  
  
"Right now?" Darien replied. He picked up a forkful of crispy duck and took a bite. "Actually I'm out of work. I live with my mother." Why did I just tell her that? His mind screamed seconds later.  
  
"You live with your mother?" Serena asked but she was smiling. "I would have to say your lucky then. If my mother ever thought that I didn't have a job I would never hear the end of it. She believes in being productive."  
  
"Does your mother work?"  
  
"No, she's a housewife. I think that's why she wants me to work hard for my living. She doesn't want me to have nothing in life."  
  
"I think being a housewife is a very productive thing." Darien replied solemnly.  
  
Serena smiled and picked up a peapod with her fork. "It is a good occupation and very rewarding but she still wants better for me." Serena raised her fork to her lips and took a bite. She chewed slowly then swallowed. "What does your mother do? Since we are on the subject of mothers."  
  
"Mine? Oh she's a house wife."  
  
Serena raised both eyebrows then burst out laughing. "I guess we have more in common then we thought. Both our mothers are housewives."  
  
' Yes but mine is also the ruler of a small country,' Darien thought ruefully. He didn't say anything but smiled and changed the subject. He didn't want to hear about her mother, he wanted to hear more about her.  
  
"So your in the newspaper business? Do you know any of those paparazzi photographers that follow a famous person everywhere?"  
  
"Paparazzi? On no, are newspaper is really small. So far the only interesting people I've heard about is the royal family. I haven't seen a picture of them yet. Well wait I have seen a picture of the queen, they say she was once a beauty but when it comes to the prince he must be invisible."  
  
Darien fidgeted in his chair.  
  
"I have heard that he's in the market for a wife. All the girls at work says they would love for it to be them, they says he noted to be very handsome but somewhat of a player."  
  
"Well you know I'm a player, maybe the prince and I have something in common."  
  
"No I don't think so. You don't strike me as a player," Serena shook her head. "Your too nice to be a player. Aren't players these mean sex crazed men who only use a girl then dump her. No you don't strike me as one."  
  
"Your right, I could never dump someone as beautiful as you." Darien reached across the table to pat her hand while Serena smiled up at him, a new understanding glowing in her eyes.  
  
A little while later over cups of tea he waiter brought them their bill and two fortune cookies. Serena was reaching for the bill but Darien beat her to it. He moved the black plastic tray over to his side. "I'm an old fashioned kind of a guy," he replied as he pulled out his wallet to pay.  
  
"But I don't mind paying," Serena protested.  
  
"No I'll pay. Here open your fortune cookie instead." He handed her a fortune cookie which Serena took in her hand while she watched him counting out some bills. She cracked open the hard exterior and laid the cookie on her plate. The fortune was on a small piece of white paper. Serena picked this up and read the writing on it.  
  
"Love once done can never be held again."  
  
"What's that?" Darien asked.  
  
"I was just reading the fortune from my cookie. It says 'love once done can never be held again.' I wonder what it means?" Serena replied handing the fortune over to Darien. He took it in his hand and read it before handing it back to her.  
  
"It probably means you will only love once. Are you ready to go?" He slid out of his chair and shoved his wallet back into his pants.  
  
"Oh yes of course." Serena stood up and pulled on her coat.  
  
They walked out of the restaurant past the waiter who bowed to them as they passed. Serena smiled and bowed back before walking through the door that Darien held open for her. Outside it seemed to have grown colder while they were inside. Serena buttoned up her jacket while Darien climbed onto the bike. She climbed on next, moved closer to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist.  
  
Darien grinned to himself as he felt her arms go around him. He revved up the bike and kicked off the kickstand. They took off with a roar past the restaurant where they had first met down dark streets dotted with street lamps. Serena only opened her eyes again when they had arrived in front of her apartment. Darien didn't turn off the motor but instead just put one foot onto the street to steady the bike. Serena moved back and climbed off the bike. She smiled and stood in front of him looking into his blue eyes.  
  
"I had a great time tonight."  
  
"Yes so did I," he replied. He cleared his throat. "Can I call you tomorrow?"  
  
Serena smiled. "I would like that."  
  
Darien smiled and took her chin in his hand. He gently leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Serena closed her eyes as he kissed her but all too soon it was over and she was once again standing on the side walk.  
  
"I'll talk to you tomorrow." He revved up the motorcycle and drove away leaving her standing alone. Serena smiled happily to herself and turned towards her apartment building. She climbed up the steps and let herself in. She could hardly wait for tomorrow.  
  
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you. 


	4. An Everly Tale Four

An Everly Tale Chapter Four By A Shot of Amber  
  
Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com.  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Four By A Shot of Amber  
  
"Hey minna, I mean everybody, I'm not here right now! Please leave a message with your name and number and I'll call you back later! Ja Ne!"  
  
The machine beeped then began to record. Darien took a breath and started to speak. "Hey Serena, its me Darien and I'm just calling to see how you are doing. I'm sorry my last call was so rushed. Please call me back on my cell, you have the number. Well bye."  
  
Darien turned off the phone and set it back in its holder. He then sat back against his bed and looked up at the ceiling. He had said he would call Serena the day after their date but unfortunately he had been re- routed. When walking in the door of home he had been captured by his mother's advisor and told of his new plans for the week. The prince of some foreign country was getting married and he and the queen were off to the wedding. Before Darien could protest, the queen appeared. Usually she went to bed at nine but tonight she had stayed up to see him.  
  
The queen was one of these womyn who looked like she was supposed to be a queen. She was short, only reaching five feet with long white hair that she always kept short and curled. Tonight she was dressed in a white night gown that went down to her lavender slippers which matched her lavender dressing gown. The queen had once been a beauty and it still seemed to cling to her like a mist. When she was dressed in her royal jewels she was like a glittering butterfly. Now she was dressed simply in her favorite color of purple.  
  
"Mother what are you doing up? I thought you would be asleep long before this, its what?" Darien looked at his watch. "11 p.m."  
  
"I was waiting for you Endymion," the queen replied, her voice still pure and sweet. "Please come with me, Edward I'll be fine. Please make sure the girls have all my things packed." The queen nodded her head to Edward her advisor then took Darien's arm and led him down the hall towards her room. Inside her sitting room which was decorated in shades of lavender like her dressing gown, tea and cakes had been set up on the table.  
  
"Please have a seat while I pour the tea." The queen gestured to a chair then sat down herself and begin to pour tea into two china cups.  
  
"Mother its late and you are pouring tea at this hour? Don't you think you should be sleeping?" Darien asked as he took a seat.  
  
The queen did not answer but instead handed him a cup and took one for herself. After she took a small sip she lowered the cup to her lap and gave Darien a steady gaze that seemed to bore through his scull.  
  
"I've decided to take our search for your bride out of this country and into another one. Prince Edvard of Sweden is getting married to some princess and we are invited to the wedding. I didn't know how to tell you so I waited until I could get you alone. You are very hard to get alone since you seem to always be busy."  
  
"I do have a life mother."  
  
"Yes and that life is pushing out your royal duties. Andrew by chance told me you had a date tonight with a commoner, a newspaper girl I gather."  
  
"Yes and she is wonderful."  
  
The queen held up one finger. "She may be wonderful but she is using you. Those types from the newspaper are the worst. They take a million pictures of us and talk about every little thing we do wrong. Because of them I'm not sincerely loved by my people."  
  
"Now that's not true mother, everyone loves you. You've done so much for Basalt. More then we could ever believe and as for Serena, I don't think you have to worry about her. She didn't seem to know who I am. She's new to the country, fresh from Japan, and I'm not in the least bit worried about her. She'll never guess who I am, she's not that smart."  
  
"Anyone can guess who you are Endymion, all they have to do is pick up a paper or magazine and see you with one of those bimbo's you seem to cavort with."  
  
"Serena is not a bimbo," Darien replied lowering his eyebrows downward.  
  
"Yes, yes, I see. Still I warn you to be careful of her. She is probably just out for a story and the only way she could get was by dating the prince himself." The queen shook her hand as if to dismiss the matter and went on to more important matters. "Now as for the wedding, we are leaving tomorrow by the jet. I want to get there early so we can dine with the royal family. It will be a small affair, just fifty people so be prepared to dress nicely. None of these ratty jeans you seem to prefer, instead tuxedo's and suits would be proper. And also I want you to meet Jeanette; she is the daughter of the Lord Enterbury of England. They say she is very beautiful and the seasons highest catch."  
  
Darien sighed and looked over the queen's head to the pictures on the walls of pink cheeked shepherdess. This Jeanette was probably dull as paper with the personality of a china doll. He would meet her, kiss her hand and come back to Basalt happy to make another date with Serena. Serena! Suddenly Darien sat up. He was supposed to call Serena tomorrow! He was going to ask her out on another date, but how could he when he would be on a jet to Sweden?  
  
"What is wrong Darien? You have this wild look in your eyes." The queen asked.  
  
"I can't possibly go to Sweden tomorrow or any day. I made plans with Serena."  
  
The queen sighed as if this was no big problem. "I'm afraid dear you are going to have to cancel. For you not to go to Sweden would be a slap in the face of the royal family. Just call the girl and tell her you're going away on a vacation or better yet just call her and end it with her. She'll never know the difference."  
  
"Mother I'm not ending it with Serena, I just got to know her."  
  
"No matter what you'll have to cancel your date with Serena. You are not dismissing the royal family so easily." The queen yawned and stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to bed and I suggest you do the same. We are leaving at 9 am tomorrow morning."  
  
Darien stood up also and set down his tea cup. He bent over and kissed his mother's cheek before walking out of the room. At the moment he was not the happiest man on Earth. He was angered by the fact that this trip had to come up at the worst of times. He had really enjoyed his date with Serena. She was sexy, easy to talk to, funny, and to tell the truth he had had a great time with her. He was all ready to call her tomorrow and ask her to a movie. Now that would never happen. Instead he found himself walking to his room and plopping down on the bed. Darien let out a breath of air and looked at the ceiling which glowed in the dim light from the hall. He then turned his head and looked at the phone next to him. All he had to do was call her and tell her something came up. Maybe the death of a loved one, or a business trip, no wait he had told her he didn't work. Then maybe the death of a loved one so she wouldn't have any idea where he was going. Yes that would be it!  
  
Darien sat up and picked up the black plastic phone. He already knew the number which he punched in.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Serena was just walking out of the bathroom after she had finished flossing her teeth. She was dressed in her favorite pair of pajamas, a pair of pink plaid flannel pants and a white t-shirt with the words "Miss Wonderful" written on it. Her hair was down and braided into one long braid. She was fully prepared and about to climb into bed when the phone rang.  
  
Serena looked up from the coverlet at the phone next to her. The number pad was lit up and as if to confirm her thoughts it rang again. Serena looked at the clock next to the phone. Yep it was almost midnight so who would be calling now? Her family knew what time it was here so it couldn't be them. Still it had to be something important, maybe it was them and something terrible had happened!  
  
Serena reached for the phone and picked it up. "Hello?" She asked nervously.  
  
"Hey Serena! Its me Darien."  
  
Serena let out a sigh of relief and brought one leg up to bend at the knee and rest on her bed. "Darien! Wow you scared me for a second there! I thought it was my family calling to tell me something awful happened."  
  
"No, its just me." On the other end Darien smiled as he heard her sigh of relief.  
  
"Well I'm glad you called because I don't know if I ever told you but I had a great time tonight."  
  
Darien smiled. "Yea so did I." He ran his hands through his hair. How was he going to tell her?  
  
"You know I was thinking while I was getting ready for bed after you left, I'm free this weekend if you want to maybe go on a picnic or something? I know there is a lake here and I thought you could maybe show me around the park."  
  
It was now or never. "Serena I would really love to but I'm really sorry but I can't get together with you this weekend. I really hate this but something came up."  
  
"Oh..." Suddenly everything seemed to deflate inside of her.  
  
"I know this sounds bad but it's the real truth. One my family members died and I just got wind of it. My mother and I are leaving tomorrow to go the funeral for a few days but when I get back I would love to go out with you again."  
  
"Where is the funeral at?"  
  
"Sweden," he replied automatically. Damn! He shouldn't have said that!  
  
"Oh wow! I heard Sweden is a beautiful place." Serena smiled. "Hey you know, I understand completely. You need to go to the funeral and I shouldn't be so selfish as to be jealous. I would love to get together again when you get back, just give me a call."  
  
"I'll definetly do that. Thanks for understanding Serena."  
  
"No problem. Now you know its late and I need sleep before work tomorrow, I mean today so I'll talk to you when I get back. Bye." Serena hung up the phone and dropped her leg back over the edge of the bed. He wouldn't lie? Would he? No! He was too nice and genuine for that! He truly did have a funeral to go to! Just, wow, Sweden! That family member must have been distant if they were living all the way in Sweden.  
  
"Stop it Serena! He does like you, he said so himself!" Serena yelled at herself. She looked over at the phone as if waiting for it to ring again and it would be Darien calling to tell her he wanted to end it. No he wouldn't do that. Serena pushed back the covers and climbed into bed. She reached over and shut of the light and curled up on her side.  
  
He was a genuine guy...right?  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
It was a week later when Serena walked in to the loft with a few bags of groceries in hand. She didn't even look at the answering machine with its flashing light as she walked into the kitchen to deposit her bags on the counter. A white plastic bag was turned over and dumped onto the gray granite spreading bags of fruit and packages of fish everywhere. Serena quickly put away here food, all remenets of the things she used to eat in Japan including doughnuts and a cake. When she was done she walked past the phone into her bedroom to change into some old jeans and a t-shirt. She still had cleaning to do before her movie night with Mina and Lita. But for the minute she just wanted to sit down and relax. Back in the main room Serena plopped down on the couch and sighed as her muscles begin to ease out of their knots.  
  
It had been a busy day at work. She had typed out two columns and answered her fan mail plus helped to fix the copy machine which she had by accident jammed with to much paper and broke. Yes it had been a very long day.  
  
Serena let her head fall back onto the couch and was about to close her eyes when she saw the flashing light. Someone had called! Instantly awake and no longer full of knots Serena pressed the button.  
  
"You have one unheard message, first message. '"Hey Serena, its me Darien and I'm just calling to see how you are doing. I'm sorry my last call was so rushed. Please call me back on my cell, you have the number. Well bye."'  
  
He had called! Instantly all her doubts about him had vanished. She smiled and picked up the phone. Over the week since his last call on Monday she had been afraid that he may never call again. There had been those doubts about a funeral in Sweden but now it didn't matter! He had called! Serena pressed the call back button. There was a beeping sound and the phone began to ring. One ring...two rings...three rings... "Hello?" It was Darien's voice.  
  
"Konichiwa! I mean hi Darien! Its me, Serena!"  
  
"Serena!" His voice filled with gladness. He sounded genuinely happy to hear from her. "How are you?"  
  
She sighed and brought her feet up to tuck them underneath her. " Tired. I had a long day at work."  
  
"Oh, sounds bad. So you might not be up to seeing a movie with me tonight? There is a new Tim Burton movie out that all the Americans are raving about."  
  
Serena smiled, her heart filling with happiness. "I would love to," she suddenly remembered the movie night she was supposed to be having with her friends. "Oh! But I can't!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm already having a movie night with my friends. We had this planned already. Some of my neighbors are coming over and we're going to order some chinese and watch movies all night."  
  
"Sounds like fun. Can I guess its all girls?"  
  
"Yes! How did you know?"  
  
"A friend of mine, Rei always does the same thing with her friends. They watch a sad movie and the first girl to cry orders and picks up a pizza for the rest of the girls. It must be a girl thing. Do you do that?"  
  
"No but it sounds like a good idea although I would probably be the first to cry. I'm easy to tears."  
  
His warm laughter filled the line making her heart beat faster. "I could see you doing that. You look like the kind of girl who has the kind of soft heart that is easy to tears."  
  
She beamed with happiness.  
  
"Well I won't keep you from getting ready for your movie night. You probably have to clean, right?"  
  
"Yea," she said dreamily.  
  
"Then get to work and go out with me tomorrow. We could catch dinner and movie. What do you say?"  
  
"I would love to!"  
  
"Great," he shifted the phone onto his shoulder as he pulled out his date book. "How about I pick you up at your place at 7pm. That way we can make a 9 o'clock show. Maybe we can even go to some Chinese place. You like Chinese food right? Its like the stuff you had at home."  
  
"Actually Darien Chinese food and Japanese food are really different."  
  
"Oh, well, then maybe we can find a Japanese restaurant somewhere in town. I'll go online and find one. In the meantime you have a good time with your friends and I'll see you tomorrow. And dress casual, just jeans and a nice blouse are fine, nothing fancy. Bye Serena."  
  
"Bye Darien," she replied softy as she heard the click of his phone. Thrilled to pieces she hung up her own phone and got up from the couch. She had a date! Tomorrow! With Darien!  
  
Serena pumped her fist in the air and kicked one leg in front of her before walking off to the cleaning closet.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"Alright everyone! We have for our viewing pleasure these wonderful American titles. "The English Patient."  
  
"Oh please, not that movie again!" Lita groaned. "How many times have you made me watch that movie? Fifty times now?"  
  
"It's a good movie!" Mina replied waving the DVD in the air.  
  
"Well I give it a thumbs down. What about you Serena?"  
  
"I don't know! I've never seen it!" Serena shouted from the kitchen where she was fixing drinks.  
  
"Serena gives it a thumbs down also," Lita replied holding both thumbs down. "Pick something else."  
  
"Alright," Mina set the box down and looked through the other movies she was holding. "How about Clueless?"  
  
"To juvenile. We are adults here Mina."  
  
"Fine," the movie went into the discard pile. "How about Possession?"  
  
"The one where the hot guy takes off his shirt? That English guy, what's his name?" Lita asked.  
  
"I have no idea but yes he does take off his shirt in the movie," Mina replied.  
  
"Sounds good to me. Pop it in!" Lita settled back on the couch, happy now that the movie had been chosen.  
  
Mina got up from kneeling in front of the glass coffee table and put the cassette into the VCR just as Serena walked out of the kitchen with a tray of drinks and a bottle of tequila.  
  
"Drinks are here!" She sang gaily as she set the tray down on the table and picked up two full shot glasses.  
  
"Serena! Did you buy a whole bottle of tequila for us three?" Lita asked wide eyed.  
  
"Between the three of us its hardly anything," Serena replied handing Mina then Lita a shot glass before taking one for herself. "Come on pikers! I used to do this all the time with my friends in Japan except over there it was Sake. Come on! One! Two! Three! Drink!" She tossed the whole thing down her throat and swallowed. After a moment's hesitation Lita did the same thing.  
  
"Wow that stuff is nasty. Give me another shot," Mina said making a face but holding out her glass again.  
  
"Its nasty yet you still drink it?" Lita asked in shock while Serena filled Mina's glass again.  
  
"Yes, I need to get drunk. Those little spores at the day care center are driving me nuts." She tossed back her drink then sat down. "I can already feel the alcohol taking over." Mina sighed and smiled.  
  
"Do you want another shot Lita?" Serena asked holding out the full bottle.  
  
"No thanks. I think I'll stick with soda. I don't like the taste of tequila."  
  
"Do you want some rum and coke?"  
  
"I don't really like rum either," Lita began.  
  
"Oh come on Lita! You can't even taste the rum in a can of coke!" Mina chided. "You might as well get drunk! We can't possibly have a movie night unless everyone is drunk."  
  
"You two get drunk. I'll be the sober one who answers the door for the delivery guy," Lita replied.  
  
"No way! Your getting drunk just like the rest of us!" Mina shook her head and turned to Serena. "Get her a rum and coke and make sure she drinks it."  
  
Serena got up and headed to the kitchen to fix the drink while Lita turned around on the couch.  
  
"Alright but not to much rum! Just a teaspoon full please!" She called into the kitchen while Mina shook her head and sighed.  
  
It was about 40 minutes into the movie when the girls decided to have a game of truth or dare. Mina and Serena had already had two shots and Lita was on her second rum and coke. The movie was forgotten as they all experienced fits of giggles over the fact that the womyn were wearing dresses. It was Mina who suggested the game and the other two girls quickly agreed.  
  
Serena was picked first and decided to choose truth.  
  
"Alright Serena," Mina began. "Are you a virgin?"  
  
"Yes I am," Serena replied solemnly.  
  
"Boring!" Lita booed pointing her thumb down.  
  
"Alright! If you think that is boring then you think up some fantastic truth or dare for Serena." Mina replied angrily.  
  
"Actually I have a great dare for you Mina," Lita giggled.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I dare you," Lita giggled again. "I dare you to dress up only in a towel when the delivery guy comes and to answer the door like that."  
  
Serena burst out laughing while Mina got a determined look on her face. She stood up and brushed her hair behind her. "Fine! I accept your dare. Serena where do you keep your towels?"  
  
"In the linen closet next to my bedroom," Serena giggled.  
  
Mina stalked off into the bathroom while Lita and Serena laughed at the mental picture of the delivery guy's face. Hopefully he was hot.  
  
Soon Mina emerged from the bathroom dressed in a pink terrycloth towel that only went down to mid-thigh. Her hair was completely down, her trademark red bow laying on the floor along with her other clothes. Mina walked over to the couch and was about to sit down when the buzzer rang.  
  
"Oh lord! Its him!" Lita gasped then burst into laughter.  
  
Mina stood up and squared her shoulders. She walked over the door holding the towel together with one hand and pressed the intercom button. " Just a moment I'll buzz you in. I'm in apartment 4C." She sang into the intercom then pressed a button letting the delivery guy in.  
  
Mina turned to the two girls and gave them a thumbs up sign before turning towards the door. She waited till the doorbell rang then counted to three before opening the door and putting on her biggest smile.  
  
"Hi there! I'm sorry for my appearance! I didn't think you'd be here so soon so I thought I would just hop in the shower. But just as I was about to hop in I remembered I needed shampoo so I thought I would ask for some from my neighbors and just as I was going to go get some you arrived! Talk about perfect timing!"  
  
The poor delivery guy could just gawk. Here was this beautiful blond womyn in a pink towel chattering about shampoo to him. He could do the only thing he knew how to do.  
  
"Um, I'm glad I got here in just in time. I mean I'm sorry to be such a hassle. Here is your food ma'am. Its going to be E17.68.  
  
"Oh wonderful! Serena! Could you be a dear and take this? I can't since I'm holding up my towel and if I let go it might drop and that would be terribly embarrassing!" She laughed softly and looked him right in the eye.  
  
Serena got up quickly and took the food from the poor guy and put a twenty into his hands. "Keep the change," she said softly before backing away.  
  
"Thank you so much...um..." Mina began.  
  
"Brian, my name's Brian," Brian replied still staring at her in awe.  
  
"Oh thank you Brian! You're so sweet." She kissed her hand then touched his cheek. "I hope to see you again soon Brian! Bye!" Mina closed the door and sighed before turning to the other girls. "Tada!" She cried letting go of the towel so it could slip to the ground.  
  
"Mina!" Lita replied horrified.  
  
Mina was wearing her bra with the straps tucked in and her orange panties.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be naked under there!" Lita cried.  
  
"If I was naked I could have never pulled it off. What if my towel fell off and I accidentally flashed him? He was only 18 years old you know. I couldn't scare a minor like that."  
  
Serena laughed and set the food down on the coffee table. "Mina you are something else. Go and get dressed so we can eat and finish the movie."  
  
Mina winked at the them and walked into the bedroom to get dressed and fold the towel and put it away. When she came back the girls ate their food and finished their Possession.  
  
It was during the second movie, Ever After, that the girls started gossiping. They chatted about work and co-workers before going onto their love lives. Lita and Mina were currently single so they chatted more about Serena's love life.  
  
"So your seeing this Darien guy for a second time tomorrow night? That's great, it must be serious."  
  
"Oh Lita! Its just a second date, there is nothing serious about that. I think its great though, he's really handsome, at least what I saw," Mina replied.  
  
"Yea he is handsome," Serena sighed dropping her head onto her hand.  
  
"You know," Mina giggled. "I thought he kind of looked like Prince Endymion."  
  
"The prince is handsome," Lita concided.  
  
"I've never seen the prince. What does he look like?" Serena asked lifting her head again.  
  
"He's tall with this wavy black hair and blue eyes. Your standard male and he's a helpless womanizer. He's always having a scandal with some womyn or another. I doubt he'll ever settle down and get married," Mina replied.  
  
"The queen is anxious to have him married so he can produce an heir," Lita added.  
  
Mina begin to giggle again. "What if you really were dating the prince of Basalt Serena? Wouldn't that be hilarious?"  
  
"I highly doubt my Darien is the prince of Basalt. They don't even have the same first name," Serena replied closing the matter soundly.  
  
Sorry this was so long but I did have a lot of fun writing this chapter! Please read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you and I hope to have chapter five out next week! 


	5. An Everly Tale Five

bAn Everly Tale Chapter Five By A Shot of Amber  
  
Hey everyone! I'm glad to see you back! I hope this means you like my story and want to continue on. Anyway please continue to be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Five  
  
"Another date, another night of finding the perfect outfit," Mina sighed as she threw a ratty looking t-shirt behind her.  
  
"I hate this. Why do girls have to look perfect yet guys can throw on the same ugly shirt and they look great no matter what, yet if I wear my ratty clothes then I look horrible," Serena groaned.  
  
"Yea but does Darien ever look horrible in the clothes he wears? I mean doesn't he always wear these really sexy sweaters and button up tops. Heck I wouldn't mind seeing him in a white sweater with those muscles," Mina replied.  
  
"Down girl, he's mine." Serena grinned and stood up holding a pink dress up to her body.  
  
"Yea but I can still dream." Mina stood up and sat down on the bed from where she was sitting on the floor. "No don't wear that, its not the 80's where everyone dressed up on their dates. If he said jeans then wear jeans with a nice blouse and a jacket since its kind of cold out there."  
  
Serena threw the dress onto the floor and walked over to her closet. She had just finished cleaning up from her last date when she and Mina had pulled down every piece of clothes she owned looking for the perfect outfit.  
  
"How about this?" Serena held up a black sweater with a pink bow on the side and a pink lining around the neck line.  
  
"What's wrong with the neck line?"  
  
Serena looked at the shirt and held it up to her body. "Its one of those shirts that hang off the shoulder. I like it, its both pink which is one of my favorite colors and black which is kind of sexy and Darien likes black. It's the perfect shirt!"  
  
Mina nodded her head. "It is cute. I say wear it, if its sexy you may get a rise of Darien and maybe you'll get some."  
  
She could barely hide the shocked look on her face as she lowered the shirt down to her waist. "Mina!" Serena was shocked. "I am not going to sleep with him on the second date. That is something you do when your married or when you've at least been dating a year."  
  
Mina just shrugged and stood up. "Come on lets do your hair, I want to do something different."  
  
Serena looked at her then looked away and then crumpled the shirt in her hand and walked over to the dressing table where Mina stood waiting for her.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"Did I mention that you look nice?"  
  
Serena smiled and put down her glass of green tea. "Yea you did when you picked me up after I tripped on the lamp cord."  
  
"Oh yes, I forgot about that. Does your knee feel better?"  
  
"I wish you could have forgotten that but yea my knee feels great."  
  
She had been walking over to the couch to get her purse when by accident tripped on a rouge light cord. After falling down and landing on her knee which had hurt quite a lot, Darien had rushed over and kneeled next to her while she was close to tears.  
  
"Ow that really hurts," Serena moaned holding her knee and squeezing her eyes shut.  
  
Darien looked down at her knee and gently touched it. Almost instantly the pain was gone. Serena opened her eyed and looked at him and he raised his eyes to meet hers. For a second all they could do was look into each others eyes before Serena smiled and moved her face away.  
  
"Thank you for whatever you did. My knee feels a lot better." She made a move to get up but Darien was quicker, he stood up and held out his hand which she took and he pulled her up.  
  
Now they sat in this beautiful Japanese place with pictures of waterfalls all over the walls and a hostess dressed in a red mandarin dress.  
  
"You know I've never seen a womyn cry so much in a movie before," Darien said looking at her from the corner of his eye.  
  
Serena had the grace to blush but still smiled. "It was a beautiful movie though. It was so sweet with the field of daffodils and when she thought he was dead and he comes back to her through the sheets..." Serena trailed off and sniffed. "That was such a beautiful movie." She repeated.  
  
"It was an obvious girls movie." Darien shook his head. "Why in heaven's name did I choose that movie?"  
  
"Because," Serena put her hand on his arm. "You knew I would like it which I did. It was so beautiful. It makes you want to fall in love." Suddenly the thought of what she had just said came to her making her blush again. Quickly Serena moved her hand from his arm but he was quicker. Darien grabbed her retreating hand and placed it back on his arm.  
  
"I like it there," he whispered in a husky voice.  
  
She raised her eyes from her hand to his own eyes and smiled. "So do I," she replied in the same husky tone.  
  
They were sitting like that, like lovers in their own little world when the waitress brought their bill. Serena was the first to look up as the young lady set the black plastic tray on the table next to the empty plates that had once held sushi.  
  
"Please take your time. I'll be back whenever you are ready." The waitress bowed to them and walked off.  
  
Serena was the first one to reach for the bill but Darien stopped her taking her hand in his. "Let me."  
  
"I really don't mind paying for dinner Darien," Serena protested.  
  
"Yes but I do mind. I'm old fashioned like that." He let go of her hand which left her strangely disappointed. She quickly smiled and reached for her jacket. He put some money on the tray, she noticed that he never used a credit card or check but then it was only the second date. Still in today's world at least in Japan, credit cards and cards of any kind were used all the time. It was just easier at least in her mind.  
  
"Ready?" Darien had stood up and was looking down at her.  
  
"Oh yes." She crumpled her jacket in her hand and stood up.  
  
"That must have been some kind of daydream." Darien grinned and took her jacket from her.  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked turning around so he could slip her jacket on her.  
  
"You look like your worried about something. Does it have to do with me?"  
  
"I was just wondering why you paid with cash, nothing big," Serena replied moving away from him. She buttoned up her jacket and turned to face him. "Shall we go?"  
  
"You were wondering why I pay with cash?" Darien grinned. "Its easier to pay with cash. I don't have to worry about credit card bills since being out of the job I can only get cash from my mom."  
  
They headed towards the door of the restaurant passing the hostess who smiled and bowed at them.  
  
"I have to wonder why a womyn in a Japanese restaurant is wearing a Chinese mandarin dress," Serena said as they walked over to Darien's bike.  
  
"Serena," he suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her from picking up her helmet.  
  
Serena turned around to look up at his face. He had a look that she could only say was stricken with something between questioning and guilt.  
  
"What's wrong? You looked scared," Serena asked a note of laughing in her voice, but it quickly disappeared.  
  
"Serena what would you do if I told you something?"  
  
"You have a girlfriend?!" Serena asked giggling. She wasn't really sure why she giggling but for some reason she was.  
  
"No," he smiled. "I'm happily single unless you want to be my girlfriend?"  
  
The giggling stopped and she became dead serious but a smile blossomed across her face. "Am I hearing you right?"  
  
"I would hope so," Darien grinned.  
  
"Oh Kami," Serena breathed looking down at her feet.  
  
Darien tilted her chin back up so she was looking back up at him.  
  
"Stay with me tonight. We could go to your apartment and be happy."  
  
"No," Serena shook her head. "I promised my father that I would remain a virgin until marriage. I can't stay with you tonight."  
  
A pained look spread across Darien's face but he nodded and let go of her. "Alright I can understand." He moved towards the bike leaving her feeling dejected. "Come on lets get going. Its cold out here."  
  
Serena sighed and picked up her helmet. She climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and took a hold of his waist. The ride was short just across town to her building. Once they got there Serena quickly slipped off the bike and pulled off her helmet.  
  
"Thank you for the night," she said placing the helmet on the back of the bike.  
  
"Hey little cat did I hurt you?" he asked turning the bike off and putting the kick stand on.  
  
"No! Of course not," Serena started to head up towards the door but he reached out and grabbed her arm.  
  
"What no kiss? I am after all your boyfriend," he grinned and moved his hand down to her hand and pulled her to him. Serena smiled and leaned in. The kiss was soft and sweet. He would have loved to deepen but he knew better. Move slowly and he would get what he wanted. Just take his time and she would come to him and she would be all his.  
  
Darien smiled and moved away from her lips. "You don't kiss like a virgin."  
  
"I've had some experience in kissing," she replied.  
  
"It shows." Darien kissed her again then let go. "Now get inside. Its cold out here and I'll call you tomorrow."  
  
Serena backed away from the bike and watched as he started the engine up and took off. When he had disappeared down the street she turned and climbed up the stairs and let herself into the building.  
  
Across the street a car started up and slowly drove down the street. Inside a man packed away his video camera while his companion pressed some buttons on his cell phone.  
  
"Guess what Jen! We got it! Exclusive video of the prince and his new girlfriend!"  
  
On the other line a lady in a red dress gave a high five to her companion sitting next to her. "Wonderful Jimmy! We'll get this out to all the news networks by Monday. Soon everyone will know. The queen should be happy. Her son finally found a girl he won't be sleeping with any time soon."  
  
Jimmy laughed as he turned onto a street while his companion put his camera away. "Thank goodness for inferred cameras or we would have never gotten the footage!"  
  
"Come back immediately," Jen said into the phone. "We'll sell it tomorrow and by Monday we'll be rich!"  
  
"On our way boss lady," Jimmy replied.  
  
"See you there then." Jen hung up the phone then turned to the man standing next to her.  
  
"Thank you Mr. Akira for allowing us to use your restaurant." She bowed to the small dark haired man who bowed back.  
  
"Anytime Miss Wanasabe."  
  
Jen smiled and walked out of the restaurant holding the small menu in which her camera had been concealed. Back to her darkroom to develop these pictures and by tomorrow the prince and his new girlfriend would be the newest commodity. Beat that Ashton and Demi!  
  
Hey people! Chapter six is coming out soon. Until then please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestion, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you! 


	6. An Everly Tale Six

An Everly Tale Chapter Six By A Shot of Amber  
  
Hey everyone! I'm back with a new chapter! Please be kind and do the ever wanted read and review approach. Otherwise please send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Six  
  
Sunday was a quiet day. Darien called and they set up a date for that week. She had done some work around the house hanging pictures and cleaning the woodwork along with her laundry which had taken some time.  
  
On Monday she arose early and dressed with care in her favorite white blouse and black pants. She disregarded her usual buns and ponytails and instead pulled her hair up into a bun with some loose trendils falling down the back. Her make-up was easy and soon she was ready and out the door.  
  
It was a quiet neighborhood so no one was out as Serena walked down the street. The usual newspaper stands were out when she hit the main town but she didn't even look at the headlines. She would see them inside the building when she got to work.  
  
Inside the building the usual stream of people was walking around. On the lower floor there was a wedding consultant, a team of people who planned weddings. Serena smiled and waved to the secretary who just stared at her in shock. Feeling a little weirded out by this she climbed into the elevator. Inside a bunch of people looked up from their newspapers at her then begin to whisper among themselves. She looked around her but they were too quiet to hear over the hum of the motor. Finally the elevator stopped on her floor and she walked out into the busy newsroom. Almost immediately the sound in room plummeted. Serena stopped and looked around her. The others were just staring at her and some were holding newspapers in their hands.  
  
"What is going on here?" She muttered to herself as she walked over to her office.  
  
"Serena! Serena!" A small mousy girl with horn rimmed glasses ran over to her holding a newspaper in her hands.  
  
"Hey Carina. What is going on here? Why is everyone staring?" Serena asked as she set down her bag on the floor and looked at the crowded desk top.  
  
"Haven't you heard?" Carina slammed the paper down on the table top. "Your front page news."  
  
"Nani?" Serena looked down at the paper vaguely wondering how she could be on the front page. Then it hit her. There was her picture on the front page of her and Darien sitting in the Japanese restaurant looking into each other's eyes.  
  
"Oh Kami!" She picked up the paper and scanned over the headline. "Young Prince in Love? What prince? That's Darien and I! He's not a prince!" She started to laugh but stopped once she saw the look on Carina's face.  
  
"What do you mean he's not a prince?" Carina asked.  
  
"That's Darien! My boyfriend! Not the prince of Basalt!" Serena looked down at the paper again then opened it up to another page where there were more pictures including a picture of her and Darien kissing outside of her building. "That's Darien...my boyfriend." She sat down in her chair with a thump.  
  
"Serena, dear." Carina came over to her side of the desk and sat down on it. "How long have you been here?"  
  
"This is my fourth week," Serena moaned.  
  
"And how could you not know what the prince looked like? He's everywhere! I mean he's always in the papers and you've never known?"  
  
Serena sighed and put her head in her hands. "I never have time and anyway I work in a newspaper office. What's the point? I hear all the news during the day. Why should I read it again at night?"  
  
"Then you've missed a lot." Carina picked up the paper and pointed to Darien's royal photo in the top left corner. "This is the prince of Basalt. His name is Endymion and yes his nickname is Darien and yes you are his new girlfriend and yes you are now famous."  
  
"Enough of the yeses. What am I supposed to do?"  
  
"Well that's up to you. Although I do suggest you get in contact with Darien and soon. He'll probably know what to do." Carina stood up and walked out of the office while Serena raised her head and picked up the discarded paper. It wasn't from her newspaper the Daily Times which she wrote for. Instead it looked like it was from another paper in a smaller town. She begin to read the article while outside the glass enclosure of her office people walked by whispering and pointing at her.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Darien was awaken by a newspaper being thrown in his face.  
  
"Jesus Andrew! What the heck?" He asked sitting up in his bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"Your on the front page."  
  
"So what? I'm always on the front page." Darien laid back down and closed his eyes to go back to sleep.  
  
"Your current girlfriend is on it too. What's her name? Oh yes," Andrew picked up the paper. "Miss Serena Tuskino the current fashion columnist for the Daily Times of our fair city. It says in here that she is new to our fair country and was last night being welcomed by our very own prince."  
  
Darien sat up and took the paper from Andrew. He scanned the first page which showed him and Serena in the Japanese restaurant then turned to page two to see pictures of him and Serena kissing outside her apartment building.  
  
"Oh my god," Darien groaned dropping the paper into his lap.  
  
"Looks like you've been caught Darien. Do you think she did it?" Andrew asked giving him a sympathetic look.  
  
"I doubt it. She's not the kind of girl to do that. She may be a newspaper womyn but I highly doubt that she would double cross me."  
  
"Well what do you want to do?"  
  
"Well I can't stop the press, that stupid law my grandfather passed keeps me from doing that." Darien threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. " I better call Serena. Now that the story is out everyone is going to be after her." He walked out of the room into the bathroom leaving Andrew where he was.  
  
"Do you want me to call her? I could introduce myself and help her out. After all I am your personal assistant."  
  
"Yea and my best friend. No thanks Andy I'll call her myself. She would probably wonder if I had my assistant do it."  
  
"What ever you say buddy, but I say you do it quick. There is probably a mob of reporters surrounding her place right now."  
  
His only response was the toilet flushing.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
It had been a hectic day at work. All through it people had stared at her and whispered. A lot of them asked about her relationship. A few reporters from downstairs had even come up to her office to ask her some questions but she had flatly refused to answer them and locked herself away. Still the office felt like a glass cage where everyone was allowed to look in. She was very glad for the end of the day. Her work was barely done since she couldn't think of anything for a new column so finally at 4pm she gave up, gathered her stuff up and left.  
  
It was utter hell downstairs. Some how or another reporters had found out where she worked and now crowded around her asking questions and shoving microphone's in her face.  
  
"Miss Tuskino! What do you think of the fact that your beau is the prince of Basalt?"  
  
"Serena what size do you wear?"  
  
"Serena how does it feel to be the girlfriend of the prince of Basalt?"  
  
Serena was blinded by the flash of bulbs going off in her face. She tried to push through the crowd but was unable to move due to the fact that she blinded and locked in a circle of reporters.  
  
"Please let me through!" Serena cried feeling tears of frustration fill her eyes.  
  
The reporters hardly moved but instead continued to throw questions her way. She could feel the tears flowing down her cheeks and was about to burst out crying when a beefy arm pushed through the crowd and grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Miss Tuskino hold on and follow me."  
  
Serena looked up through the haze of tears to see a man with dark hair and glasses had grabbed her wrist. Before she could say anything he begin to pull her through the crowd. Helpless to do anything else she followed him through the throng to the curve where a black limo was waiting.  
  
"Get in." He opened the door and pushed her in.  
  
Serena stumbled stepping down from the curb but quickly climbed in and sat down. The door was closed and the beefy man with the sunglasses climbed in the front passenger seat.  
  
"Drive on James," Darien waved his hand then settled back into his seat and smiled at Serena. "I'm sorry we couldn't meet you inside. We got here a little late."  
  
Serena didn't say anything but just looked around her. She was sitting across from Darien and a blond haired man who was talking on the phone. He smiled at her and nodded his head.  
  
"I know this comes has a shock to you. I should have probably told you the truth on our first date but I didn't want you coming to any ideas about me." Darien said taking her silence for shock.  
  
He was right. Serena turned her eyes away from Andrew to Darien who sat dressed in a pair of crisp gray slacks and a black sweater.  
  
"You're the prince of Basalt? I've been dating the prince of Basalt?"  
  
Darien looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yes I am. I wanted to tell you but I didn't really know how you would react. I mean you are a commoner and new to this country."  
  
"You do know that Japan has a royal family. Its not like I'm new to a monarchy," Serena replied sitting back in her seat.  
  
"The Emperor of Japan is not a monarch and I know your used to a royal family but you are also a reporter and if I told you before I could trust you then you may have gone and spilled the story."  
  
"Are you saying that I spilled the story?"  
  
"Alright yea, we have her now. Thanks, bye," Andrew said into the phone then shut it off with a snap. "Hi Serena, I'm Andrew, Darien's personal assistant. I know this is still a real shock to you but I'm here to answer any questions you have and to help you get through this."  
  
"What do you mean by this?" Serena asked a fearful look on her face.  
  
"Well now that its been leaked that you are the prince's new girlfriend you are going to have to deal with the press. People will want to know about you so they'll go to any lengths including paying your friends and family to dish on secrets about you."  
  
"You mean I have no personal life?"  
  
"Pretty much yes. You're a new figure in Basalt and because of that anything you do will be reported by the press. Now let me tell you, I don't want you answering any questions about the prince. We are trying to keep this as low key as possible so don't go and say you two are getting married or making up other lies."  
  
Serena sighed and put her head in her hand then raised it again. " Obviously you think that I'm going to spill everything I know about the prince so let me tell you. I've only been on two dates with him! What can I say? We've had Asian food and went to a movie?"  
  
"It was three dates. We did go to coffee together," Darien pointed out.  
  
"Basically Serena we just don't want you to lie and take advantage of the situation. It would be best if you kept this low key," Andrew replied.  
  
"I need to get out of here," Serena groaned looking out the window as the car pulled up to her building.  
  
"You can't leave until we get this all done. The queen wants to meet you for tea and to discuss the situation," Andrew cried removing her hand from the door handle.  
  
Serena looked out at the group of reporters standing outside the building looking into the windows of the limo. "The queen wants to meet with me?" She asked turning to look at Andrew.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Serena," Darien spoke up. "Mother wants to meet you and judge you for marriage. She doesn't think you're a hussy or anything and I've told her all about you. I told her about what a great person you are and how sweet you are. Don't worry, it will just be a small tea with you and her. Strictly informal so you just need a nice classy dress and you'll be ready to answer any questions she has."  
  
Serena looked at him. She was seeing him in a new light. He was a prince and she...she was a commoner of no special birth. What was going on?  
  
"When does the queen want to see me?"  
  
"Thursday at 4pm. James will pick you up and Eric will escort you in. I can't be there but I just want you to know that I'll be throwing all my support to you," Darien replied.  
  
"Thursday at 4pm alright...I'll be there." Serena smiled at Andrew and Darien and climbed out of the car. Instantly the reporters begin to swarm around her shouting her name and asking questions.  
  
"Serena! Were you just talking to the prince? Is he in there?"  
  
"I'm sorry but I'm not at liberty to answer any questions except to say that I have no comment." Serena pushed the microphones out of her way and begin to fight through the crowd when all of a sudden a collective roar came from the crowd. Serena was suddenly alone standing on the sidewalk. The press had all left her and were surging around the limo. She turned around to see what was going on and was shocked to see Darien fighting his way through the crowd followed by Eric who was pushing people out of the way.  
  
"Darien I can walk myself up to my own apartment," Serena cried as he came up to her and grabbed her arm.  
  
"I know you can but I'm old fashioned and I want to talk to you in private." Darien steered her up the stairs and inside the building. "Eric wait for me down here, I'll be right back," he called as he and Serena begun to talk up the stairs.  
  
On the third floor Serena looked over at Mina's and Lita's door but it was closed tight so obviously neither one was home. It didn't really matter, Darien kept pulling her along, up one more flight of stairs to her door.  
  
"Could you please let go of my arm? Your hurting it," Serena said as they walked up to her door.  
  
"What?" Oh I'm sorry Serena." He let go and stood there looking abashed, definetly a change from the business like man in the limo.  
  
Serena pulled her arm closer to her body and rubbed the skin which was red and slightly bruised.  
  
"Look Serena, I want to say that I'm really sorry about all this. I wanted to tell you on the first day but how would you take that?"  
  
Serena smiled and let go of her arm. "I would probably not believe you at first but now how can I not? Its pretty obvious that you are a prince by the fact that the media is all around us."  
  
"Yea," he rubbed the back of his head. "I don't want this to change anything between us. I still want to date you and be your boyfriend if you are willing to that."  
  
"Why do I suddenly feel like a high school girl with her first boyfriend?" Serena giggled covering her mouth with her hands.  
  
Darien grinned and dropped his hand. "Maybe because this situation is a little far fetched. We could think of it though as a freshman dating a high school senior."  
  
"And I guess am I the freshman?"  
  
"You have to be, I am four years older then you."  
  
"Oh yea." Serena leaned against her door and sighed. "Kami, this is all so new to me. I'm dating a prince!"  
  
"That doesn't change anything between us."  
  
"Yes it does. How can we go to dinner or a movie together without being followed? We can't enjoy a normal life of dating. You know you are my first boyfriend. I never dated in high school so this is all new to me."  
  
"We'll make it fun," Darien took her hand and brought it up to his lips. "We'll just take it step by step. You know this is the first time I've dated a girl who is not of royal birth."  
  
"I feel really special," Serena replied but did grin up at him. " But yea, we'll just take it slow, one step at a time."  
  
"Good. So how about you coming with me to my friend Rei's birthday party on Saturday? It won't be a fancy dress ball," he added seeing the alarm in her eyes. "She's turning twenty seven and would really like to meet you. It will be all casual, and I mean casual. Rei is really lenient on clothes, if she has to she'll dress up but otherwise you'll mostly see her in casual clothes. Now say your coming."  
  
"I'd love too, but shouldn't I be jealous? I mean Rei from how you've described her seems like this beautiful perfect goddess, I'm surprised you haven't married her."  
  
Darien threw back his head and laughed causing her to blush slightly. "Serena you have to meet Rei before you pass judgment on her. For one thing she's not a goddess but instead a politician's daughter and for another she hates men."  
  
"Then why are you friends with her?"  
  
"Because I'm one of those rare people who can break through her reserve and find the truth underneath her layers. Now are you coming?"  
  
"I said yes, I would love to go," Serena replied.  
  
"Wonderful. I'll pick you up at 3pm. I won't get out of the limo but Eric will and he'll escort you down."  
  
"What about the tea ceremony?"  
  
"Yes about that. Be prepared to be grilled by mother and wear a nice dress. Nothing flashy and sexy but instead something long and old fashioned. James and Eric will pick you up. I can't be there but like I said I'll be rooting for you."  
  
"Thanks, I'll need all the support I can get."  
  
"You'll do fine. Now I better get going before the press corps breaks into the building to find out what we're talking about. Now give me a kiss good-bye." He grabbed her other hand and pulled her closer.  
  
Serena reached up on tip-toes and gently kissed him. She then backed away and smiled while reaching for her keys. "I'll talk to you Thursday about the ceremony."  
  
"Good I want to know how it went," Darien replied backing away as well.  
  
Serena unlocked her door and entered the apartment all the time smiling at Darien who was backing up towards the stairs.  
  
"Good-bye," Serena waved to him then closed the door and sighed. Okay what was she getting herself into?  
  
On the other side of the door Darien smiled and started down the stairs. He had the reporters to face and then later his mother who obviously seen the paper by now.  
  
Chapter seven will be out soon. In the meantime please read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you! 


	7. An Everly Tale Seven

An Everly Tale Chapter Seven By A Shot of Amber  
  
Hey all I'm back! Glad to see you here! Please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com! Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Seven  
  
Serena walked into the apartment and dropped her bag on the floor. She could feel the tension of the day easing out of her jangled nerves. Serena walked across the room to the phone and looked down at the answering machine. The light was blinking which meant that she had a message, or a hundred. With this thought in mind Serena pressed the button.  
  
"You have one hundred and sixty seven unheard messages. First unheard message. '"Serena call me at once, this is Lita and yes I know its early but I need to talk to you."'  
  
She had obviously seen the paper.  
  
"Second unheard message. Serena did you see the paper? I can hardly believe it but Darien is a prince! I should have known better but I never even thought! I mean the pictures of him look nothing like the guy I met a few weeks ago! Call me as soon as you get home, I'll be at the nursery till four and if you don't get this before then I'll be over about five. This is Mina by the way."  
  
So Mina had seen the paper also.  
  
"Third unheard message." Serena pressed the off button and sat back on the couch. She didn't even want to hear the rest of the messages. There would be one from her parents probably asking her what was going on with Darien and of course a ton of messages from the press. Serena sighed and dropped her head into her arms but the sound of the phone woke her back up. She reached over and picked up the white plastic receiver.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Is this Miss Tuskino?"  
  
"Yes this is she."  
  
"Miss Tuskino my name is not important and please don't ask it. I want to set up a meeting with you. I saw your picture in the paper and I've been reading your column and I think I can be good to you. What do you say? Maybe we could meet at Ireland's pub and go back to my place for a little fun. Do you like chains? Because I have a ton of them and I can chain you up."  
  
"Forget it!" Serena yelled into the phone and hung up.  
  
"What an ecchi," she muttered looking at the phone. A second later it rang again. Serena almost reached for it but decided against that. She instead sat on the couch staring at the phone. It rang three times before the answering machine picked up.  
  
"Hey minna, I mean everybody, I'm not here right now! Please leave a message with your name and number and I'll call you back later! Ja Ne!"  
  
"Hello Miss Tuskino, may I call you Serena? I'm Patty Albert and I'm a reporter for Royal magazine. I would love to get an exclusive interview with you. It won't be anything major, we can just talk about your relationship with the prince and maybe your future plans and of course about your clothes since the readers want to know! What does a future princess wear? Anyway I'm going to leave my number so please call me ASAP!"  
  
Serena gave out a frustrated sigh and got up from the couch. She pulled the phone plug out of the wall and coiled it around the phone. Inside the bedroom the phone was also ringing so she did the same thing, ripping the cord out of the wall and coiling it into a circle to lie on top of the phone. Then she began to undress, shedding her garments until she was in nothing but her bra and panties. Dressed in only her undergarments she walked into the bathroom to take a hot bath and doze. It wouldn't do to have the phone ringing every second and bothering her.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
It was what, maybe an hour later when someone started knocking on the door. Serena opened her eyes and looked out the bathroom door but she couldn't see the door at that angle so it was pointless. Thinking it was some reporter who had somehow gotten in she ignored it and closed her eyes again.  
  
The person at the door knocked again then yelled something. It was kind of blurred but Serena could make out the word "friends". Sighing with frustration over the fact that everyone was hounding her, she climbed out of the bath and wrapped a towel around her wet body. Serena walked out of the bathroom dripping water onto the white carpet on the way to the door. A quick peek in the peep hole revealed Mina and Lita standing in front of the door. Lita had her arms crossed and was looking behind her as if to see someone. Mina was trying to look into the peep hole herself. Serena clutched the towel tighter around her and opened the door.  
  
"Quick get in incase a reporter is spying on me!" Serena hissed as she ushered in the two girls and closed the door.  
  
"Relax there's no reporters outside or inside the building. They were all gone when I got home," Mina replied taking a look at Serena's apparel and walking into the kitchen.  
  
"Well it wasn't the same for me," Lita followed Mina into the kitchen. "When I got home I thought they were going to mob me when they found out I lived in the same building as you do. They wanted interviews and everything. It was nuts!" Lita grabbed a glass from Mina who handed her one and walked over to the fridge. "I didn't say anything but I'll probably be on TV tonight anyway for the fact that I'm one of the future princesses friends."  
  
"I am not the future princess!" Serena cried letting go of her towel with one hand then quickly grabbing it as it fell down slightly. "I'm just his girlfriend."  
  
"Your also the media's newest celebrity," Lita replied pouring herself some orange juice.  
  
"I wonder if your famous in America? Wouldn't that be cool?" Mina asked grabbing the carton of juice from Lita.  
  
"America?" Serena whispered a stunned look on her face. "Do you think it could spread all the way to America?" She asked in a louder tone.  
  
Mina shrugged and walked out of the kitchen. "It could, I mean you are now famous in Basalt and though, yes, it is a small country that doesn't mean its royal family isn't known."  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?"  
  
"Absolutely nothing." Lita walked over and put her arm around Serena's shoulders. "You went on some dates with a nice normal guy who turned out to be a prince. Don't break up with him because of that. Look at Princess Diana of England. She dated a prince, married him, and became the most loved symbol of her country and the world."  
  
"Yes but her marriage did end in divorce and she was killed in that car accident in Paris, don't forget that," Mina pointed out.  
  
"I was trying to make a positive point here Mina. Thank you for ruining it."  
  
"No problem," Mina replied taking another sip of her juice.  
  
"You know minna I'm not going to marry Darien. We just had three dates, that's all and who knows it may end on its own before it gets really serious."  
  
"That's true but what if it doesn't? What if it gets really serious and you two do get married. You could be like Princess Grace of Monaco and become a symbol of royalty," Lita replied.  
  
"Princess Grace was a blond just like you are Serena," Mina added.  
  
Serena just shook her head and laughed softly. "I am not going to be a symbol of a nation. I am not going to be a princess. I have to meet the queen mother on Thursday so who knows, she may hate me so much that she'll tell Darien to break up with me and this whole silly thing will be over."  
  
"And what if she likes you?" Lita asked.  
  
"Then I guess Darien and I can keep on seeing each other, but that doesn't matter until I get the queen's approval."  
  
"So your meeting the queen? This means you'll need a dress," Mina replied her eyes glowing brightly at the prospect of fashion.  
  
"Yea but I have till Thursday to pick out a dress and who knows I may have something to wear right in my closet."  
  
"No you don't." Mina stood up and set her glass down on the coffee table. "I've been through your wardrobe and though you are a fashion columnist you are sadly behind in what is fashionable for royalty. You'll need a nice dress, something like a fancy suit with pearls and the whole bit, maybe even a hat."  
  
"I'm not wearing a hat!" Serena replied shaking her head in protest.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I look horrible in hats. I'll do the pearls and the nice suit/dress but I am not wearing any hats."  
  
"Alright no hat but we have to get you a dress. Go and change out of your towel and we'll go shopping. We can try the mall or maybe window shop in the downtown. I'm sure they'll have something," Mina amended.  
  
"You need some time out," Lita added patting her shoulders before letting go. "We can go incognito so no one recognizes you and since its dinnertime I doubt many people will be out and anyway the picture was taken of you with your hair up in the pigtails. If you wear your hair down I'm sure no one will recognize you."  
  
"Are you sure?" Serena asked turning her eyes to Lita.  
  
"Yes I am. Now go and change so we can leave." Lita gently nudged her and Serena begin to walk towards her bed room.  
  
"I hope your right about this," she called over her shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry!" Lita replied as the bedroom door closed then turned to Mina.  
  
"What's the chance of us not being caught by the media?" She asked.  
  
"One in a billion. The paparazzi is everywhere. They track you like dogs. Look at Princess Diana," Mina replied.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Thursday came around faster then she could have ever expected. Through out the week she had dealt with reporters hounding her every time she walked out of her building or out of work. Darien's driver had taken to picking her up in the morning and in the afternoon. He also drove her to the market to buy food and to do any other chores she needed to do which included mailing a very long letter to her parents in Japan explaining everything to them.  
  
On Monday she and Mina and Lita had gone shopping with Serena wearing her long blond hair in a braid tied with a pink ribbon. At first no one had recognized her when all the public had was some blurred pictures of a blond girl with pigtails. It was all good until they saw the evening edition of the newspaper. Serena had been walking past a newspaper stand on her way out of the store where they had bought her a new dress. Serena was in a good mood and was laughing and chatting about clothes with Mina when she by chance saw the paper and stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
"The Future Princess? Look Inside her Private Life?"  
  
"What did you say?" Mina asked stopping a few steps ahead and turning back.  
  
"I'm in the papers again!" Serena cried picking up a paper from the stand. She stared at the picture on the front page. It was a studio portrait that had been taken right before she had left for Basalt. In the picture she was sitting with one leg trust out and the other bent at the knee wearing a white off the shoulder sweater and blue jeans. It was a nice picture but that didn't matter as much, what mattered though was how the newspapers got this picture.  
  
"Wow that's a really good looking picture of you Serena!" Mina said looking over her shoulder at the picture.  
  
"They obviously struck again," Lita added paying the man for the newspaper then turning to look over Serena's over shoulder. "That's the same paper that wrote that other article."  
  
"Looks like there is more." Mina turned around and picked up two other papers. "You're in the entertainment section of The Daily Times and in the Esquire also."  
  
"That will be one euro miss," the newspaper operator said holding out his hand.  
  
"Oh yes, of course," Mina replied handing the man a euro and turned back to Serena who was now reading the article.  
  
"I'm a striking blond who graduated from a high school in Tokyo and was one of the most popular students? They even have quotes from my teachers! How could my teachers remember me? I barely ever answered any questions and I never did my homework! I was a terrible student yet in here they talk about how bright I was!"  
  
"They are saying the same thing in The Daily Times also." Mina replied flipping through the pages of the paper.  
  
"Oh Kami," Serena moaned lowering the paper and looking up at the sky.  
  
"Excuse me miss."  
  
Serena looked down from the skies to see a girl dressed in a catholic school uniform standing in front of her. She looked to be about sixteen years old and was looking at Serena with an excited expression.  
  
"Are you Serena Tuskino?"  
  
"Yes I am..." Serena replied tentively.  
  
"Ooo! Can I have your autograph!?" The girl held out the newspaper she was holding in her hands along with a pen.  
  
"Oh I don't know," Serena begin but was stopped by Mina.  
  
"Do it Serena."  
  
Serena looked at Mina who nodded her head. She then looked at Lita who did the same thing then took the paper and signed it using florid characters that were slightly shaky.  
  
"Here you go," Serena said in a slightly dry voice as she handed the girl her paper.  
  
The girl smiled and giggled happily. "Thank you! I just have to say you and the prince make such a cute couple. You must be the luckiest girl in the world. I wish you a lot of luck!" With that she walked off to meet up with a group of girls standing just a few feet from the newspaper stand.  
  
"Come on we better go," Mina prompted taking Serena's arm and started to lead her away from the newspaper stand back in the direction of their apartments. Lita took the papers and folded them up neatly and tucked them under her arm.  
  
"We can read these when we get home. If we stay out here to much longer we might attract a crowd," Mina said as she led them through the groups of people who were out walking around.  
  
When they got back to Serena's apartment the first thing Mina did was to fix Serena a cup of tea and a piece of cake.  
  
"Here eat these, right now you need the sugar." Mina set the cake and the tea on the coffee table in front of Serena who was sitting on the couch reading the newspapers.  
  
"Most of this stuff is nothing but lies," she sighed throwing down one paper and picking up another. "I am not a striking beauty and I sure am not a good student! I was lucky that I actually passed high school!"  
  
"Then how did you become a journalist?" Lita asked from her position on the floor where she was reading the discarded newspapers.  
  
"I had a friend named Ami who was really smart. She tutored me through out high school then helped me get a job on a local paper in Tokyo. Soon I moved up till I got a job on a major paper as a columnist before I moved here to Basalt." Serena threw down her paper and picked up the cake. "This is nuts! How do celebrities deal with this?"  
  
"They don't. Some people go crazy and revert to drugs," Mina replied sitting next to Serena.  
  
"Well that's not going to happen to me. My parents would kill me if that happened." Serena took a bite of her cake and chewed thoughtfully.  
  
"I say you should relax and take it easy. Just go with the flow." Lita looked up from the floor and smiled. "That dress we bought you looked really hot. It'll be perfect for a tea party."  
  
"Yea I just hope its not a tea party where the queen will invite me to meet all her royal friends and I'll end up embarrassing myself to the high heavens in front of them."  
  
"You know it could be worst. It could be just the queen and you. Now how would that feel? Just you and the queen of an entire country? I would probably die!" Mina replied raising her eye brows to the sky.  
  
"Both sound terrible to me. I'll probably blunder up horrible and spill tea on myself or worse the queen and look like a blithering fool." Serena sighed.  
  
"Then whatever you do, don't be clumsy! We know you Serena! We're sure you're going to do fine," Lita said patting her knee reassuringly.  
  
And so here she was dressed in a soft pink dress with a crème colored bodice. The dress went down to just pass her knees in a soft pink skirt while the top was done in an empire style of crème colored cloth with soft pink, blue, and green flowers and leaves curling over it. There was two straps that tied behind her neck giving it a nice halter look. Mina had picked out the dress after turning down Serena's idea on a nice suit. Mina had seen enough old movies to know what a proper tea dress was. She had firmly told Serena her ideas and then picked out the dress which all three girls had to say was lovely. Afterwards Serena had picked out the shoes, a simple pair of white sandals with straps that tied around her ankles in the style of ballet shoes.  
  
Her normal style of pig tails was disregarded by Mina who did her hair and instead it was twisted up into a french knot and secured with a hair clip made of white plastic. After Mina had put on her makeup she was allowed to see herself in the mirror. It was a beautiful and stately womyn who stared back from the silver glass. If Darien could see her now he would say she was breathtaking. Serena could almost hear him say that which made her smile and thank Mina with a big hug.  
  
James had come by along with Eric who escorted her to the limo despite the fact that there was no reporters around. Inside the limo Serena poured herself a glass of the sparkling cider that had been put in there especially from Darien who also sent her a note of love and caring. Surprisingly the ride was short and before Serena could finish her drink they were driving through the gates of the palace into the main courtyard. Instead of stopping right in front of the palace like Serena was hoping they would they drove to a smaller entrance under a hooded entranceway. Serena gulped down the last of her cider as the car stopped and set the glass back on the bar. Eric had gotten out of the car and was holding the door open for her. Serena climbed out and smoothed her skirt as she looked around her. They were standing under an overpass with ionic columns holding up the roof to the side of the car. Around them flowers and bushes were growing in abundance all obviously taken care of by a team of gardeners.  
  
"Miss Tuskino please follow me." James was talking to her, breaking through her thoughts and beckoning for her to follow him towards the large oak door that led inside.  
  
Serena smoothed her skirt again and followed James inside. Inside James handed her over to a womyn wearing a black dress. She gestured for Serena to follow her down the hall. As they walked Serena looked around her into the rooms on either side of the hall. If she was hoping for the grand splendor and crystal ceilings with golden chairs and huge rooms, she was hugely disappointed. The entrance hallway was made up with a shiny wooden floor with crème colored walls and a red carpet leading down the hall. The rooms on either side of her as they walked down the hall were simple in décor. One had powder blue walls and crème colored furniture. Another revealed a simple dining room painted in hunter green. If this was the palace then it was all very simple. Nothing like the palaces people talked about in books where the rooms were paneled in gold and silver.  
  
"The queen wants to meet you in her private sitting room. She thought you would feel more comfortable in the back of the house then in the front where its very opulent."  
  
"Oh yes of course!" Serena replied turning back to face the womyn in front of her.  
  
"There is few simple rules to follow while you're here. Don't ask the queen any personal questions. Don't touch anything and always stand up when she does. Oh yes," the lady turned around and faced Serena. "Don't speak to her unless she speaks to you first."  
  
"Alright," Serena whispered feeling kind of panic stricken. This was going to be harder then she thought.  
  
The lady in black turned back around and begin to walk down the hall at a brisk pace with Serena following her. Soon they came to a pair of wooden double doors. The lady in black stopped in front of them and faced Serena. "When you see the queen make sure to curtsy to her and remember everything I told you."  
  
Serena nodded dumbly. She felt like she was going to throw up. She was going to meet the queen!  
  
The lady in black gave her one last look then opened the doors and stepped into the room.  
  
Cliffhanger! If you want to know what happens then come back next time when I have a new chapter out. I promise to have it out soon. In the meantime please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, and suggestions to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you! 


	8. An Everly Tale Eight

An Everly Tale Chapter Eight By A Shot of Amber  
  
I'm back and continuing on! I'm so glad to see you back! Please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Eight  
  
For a brief instant Serena was blinded by the sunlight coming from the large bay windows in front of her but her eyes quickly adjusted taking in a lavender room and the queen standing in front of a lavender couch.  
  
"Your majesty." The lady in black curtsied deeply then stood up. "I bring you Miss Serena Tuskino." The lady in black turned and gave her an imperious look.  
  
Quickly she curtsied and said "your majesty," in a soft voice.  
  
"Miss Tuskino, I'm so glad to have your company for tea this afternoon." The queen held out one hand and then moved it over the couch. " Please come and sit with me."  
  
Serena nodded and walked over to the couch. She smoothed her skirt behind her and sat down on the lavender and white striped couch. The queen did the same thing then looked up at the lady in black.  
  
"Betty you may leave now. Thank you."  
  
Betty nodded and backed out of the room closing the doors in front of her.  
  
Serena was suddenly very aware that she was alone with the queen. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap then up and around the room. Everything was done in colors of lavender or white. The floor was dark wood but the walls were painted white while the furniture was done in colors of lavender or in white or in both. It was truly a beautiful room and the queen must have sensed this.  
  
"Lavender is my favorite color," the queen said looking around the room herself. "Endymion thinks I tend to over do it but I still insist that its beautiful."  
  
"It is beautiful," Serena replied looking at the lavender velvet portieres.  
  
"Thank you dear." The queen began to pour tea into china cups and add lemon and sugar. She handed a cup to Serena who took it in her hands and took a small sip of the hot liquid. It somehow gave her strength and she was about to ask the queen a question when she remember Betty's warning. "Don't speak to her unless she speaks to you first." Quickly she shut her mouth and took another sip of her tea, but the queen broke the silence.  
  
"Endymion or Darien as his friends call him told me you work for a newspaper."  
  
"Yes I do. I'm a columnist for The Daily Times. I write about fashion."  
  
"I see," the queen set down the tea pot and picked up her cup. " Then you know those awful people called reporters."  
  
"Um yes I do, but they really aren't at all awful. Some of them are the nicest people I know."  
  
"Yea of course. They are nice enough to write about how badly I run my kingdom and to meddle in my son's life and of course my own."  
  
Serena blushed and said nothing. It was true that the people she knew at the newspaper did write about the bad things happening in the kingdom but they did have a right. "Well it is true that they do meddle but the constitution of this country says that there is freedom of the press." Whoa! That was too much! Serena blushed and quickly switched to another route. "I mean they shouldn't meddle in your life. If it helps I think you're doing a wonderful job running the country and that Darien is a wonderful prince."  
  
The queen looked at her from the corner of her eye then took a sip of her tea. "Endymion is a wonderful boy. He's my only child you know so I have a lot of hopes for him. I'm hoping to see him married and settled soon with children that will assure that the throne is in the right hands."  
  
"I'm sure he will make a wonderful father," Serena replied truthfully.  
  
"Yes he will," the queen picked up a plate of Queen Anne cakes and held it up to Serena. She took a cake and took a small bite of it. The queen did the same and set the plate down. "Just a few weeks ago he met a lady named Jeanette and they really seemed to bond. He was quite taken with her. In fact I invited her to come to the palace for a ball I'm holding."  
  
"A ball?" Serena asked the bite of her cake getting stuck in the back of her throat.  
  
"Yes, I thought it would be nice to throw a ball to introduce her to the country and has Darien's sweetheart."  
  
"Darien's sweetheart?" Serena echoed softly.  
  
The queen smiled but not at Serena and her smiled was one of malevolence. "Why yes. I didn't think you supposed that Endymion was going to marry you now did you? Endymion is a prince and he must marry a womyn of royal blood. Jeanette is a lady and you are nothing but a newspaper writer. You and Darien would never suit properly."  
  
Serena suddenly felt like the cake she had just eaten was going to come up again but it didn't as the queen went on.  
  
"I would of course love for you to come to the ball as one of mine and Endymion's personal guests. It would be such a great honor. You can meet all of Endymion's friends and Jeanette. She has heard about you and would love for you to come." The queen turned to Serena and smiled. "Now say you are coming dear."  
  
"Oh I don't know. I would feel so out of place," Serena mumbled embarrassingly.  
  
"Nonsense, you'll fit in fine. All you need is a ball gown, you know something fancy. No jeans or those awful mini skirts girls are now wearing today. Something long and elegant will be fine. Now say you are coming."  
  
"I still don't know..." Serena began but was cut off by the queen.  
  
"I will see you there. I'll send you an invitation to your home. The ball will be in two weeks time so I look forward to seeing you there." The queen set down her tea cup. "I am feeling most tired. I think I will go and take a rest now. Thank you for coming to see me. I'll have Betty walk you out." The queen stood up and walked out of the room leaving Serena sitting on the couch quite confused.  
  
"Miss Tuskino the queen has left."  
  
Serena looked up to see Betty standing in the doorway glaring at her. "You forgot to stand when she stood up. That was most rude. Now please follow me. I'll escort you to the car." Betty turned around and began to walk down the hall. Serena set down her tea cup on the table and hurried out of the room to follow Betty down the hall. This time she didn't peek into the rooms but instead looked at the back of Betty's tailored black dress till they were outside.  
  
"Thank you for visiting. James will drive you home now." Betty gestured with her clipboard to James who was standing in front of the limo's door.  
  
"Thank you," Serena mumbled then walked over to the car and climbed in the back seat. James shut the door and walked over the driver's side while Serena crumpled up in the back and sighed, one hand on her forehead. This had been a horrible day. All she wanted to do was to go home and relax.  
  
After another short ride they arrived at her apartment. Serena climbed out of the limo while James held the door open for her. She thanked him before walking up the steps and letting herself in. The stairs were flooded with light as she ran up four flights and let herself into her apartment. The large bay windows were letting in streams of golden and red lights from the setting sun. Serena didn't even notice them. She just dropped her purse on the floor in the entrance way and walked into her bedroom. All of Mina's carefully applied make up was washed off and her hair was let down and pulled into her normal buns and ponytails. She pulled off her dress and hung up in the closet and pulled on an old pair of sweat pants and a black glittery t-shirt for the band The Three Lights that she had liked back in Japan. Serena walked out of the bedroom into the kitchen where she grabbed a carton of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and a spoon and walked into the main room. She sat down on the couch and opened the carton.  
  
Almost instantly her thoughts began to run around in circles as she thought of her meeting with the queen. It was obvious that the queen did not like her. She hadn't been rude or catty but it was the way her vibe was towards Serena. She had seemed to enjoy talking about Jeanette who was probably very beautiful. Had Darien forgotten to tell her something? Such as that he was almost engaged to be married to some beautiful dark haired womyn named Jeanette? No that couldn't be, Darien wouldn't lie to her. He was too nice and such a gentleman. It was the queen; she obviously hated Serena for being a commoner and winning the love of her only son the prince.  
  
Serena took another bite of her ice cream and thoughtfully looked up at the ceiling. It was painted white with a large black and brass lamp in the middle of it. When she turned on the lamp the room flooded with light. Now it was turned off and the only light in the room was that of the setting sun. Serena looked over at the windows then stood up and walked over to them. They had ledges just big enough for her to sit on. She did just that, sitting on one of the ledges and looked out over the city. Everything was bathed in a golden light from the cars passing each other below her to the people walking home from work. And she was sitting above them watching it all while somewhere out in the city Darien was probably talking to Jeanette on his cell phone right now.  
  
No! Serena shook her head to stop those crazy thoughts. He was dating her! He liked her! Not this girl named Jeanette! The queen was just trying to scare her away but that wouldn't happen. Serena was going to go to that ball and she was going to go looking more like a queen then the queen and she was going to show everyone that Darien belonged to her and not to that Jeanette girl. Serena smiled and took another bite of ice cream. It was all going to be perfect.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Darien stopped by that night bringing dinner just as she was going to start making a casserole. She had been pulling vegetables out of the fridge when the doorbell went off. Serena set the vegetables down on the counter and went to open the door. He stood there holding some bags in his hand and smiling down at her.  
  
"Are you hungry?"  
  
"Starved," Serena replied stepping back to allow him in.  
  
Darien walked in and headed for the kitchen with Serena following him. Inside he set the bags on the counter and began to shuffle through them.  
  
"What did you bring?" She asked sitting down on a stool.  
  
"Cold pasta linguini with shrimp, a salad, and for dessert chocolate cake."  
  
"Ooo that sounds good," Serena grinned and watched as he pulled the food out of the bags and set them down on the counter. "Do you need any help?"  
  
Darien shook his head and set down the plastic container holding the pasta. "You've had a hard day. You relax and let me prepare dinner." He walked past Serena into the main room where the dining room table was.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to set the table while you prepare the food?" Serena asked turning around on her stool.  
  
"No I can do it! You just sit and watch the superman do his work!" Darien shook his head and walked back into the kitchen. He opened a cupboard to reveal boxes and cans of food. "Wrong one." He closed the cupboard and moved to the next one. He opened it to reveal another cupboard to reveal more boxes and cans. "How many cupboards of food do you have?"  
  
Serena smiled and got up. "Let me set the table while you prepare the food." She walked over to a cupboard and opened it up to reveal plates and cups.  
  
"There's hardly any preparing to be done," Darien replied watching her pull out two plates and some cups.  
  
"What do you want to drink?" Darien asked resigning to let Serena set the table but instead moved to the refrigerator.  
  
"You didn't bring anything to drink? I thought we were supposed to bring some romantic drink like champagne or white wine?"  
  
"I thought you didn't like alcohol?" Darien asked looking confused.  
  
"Well that's true. It does taste nasty but I do drink it." Serena smiled and shrugged. "Anything will be fine." Serena picked up the plates and headed into the main room to set the table while Darien pulled out a bottle of apple juice and searched for wine glasses. He finally found them in a cabinet and poured out juice for both of them and carried the glasses to the table where he set one at the head of the table and another next to it.  
  
Serena set the table with plates, cutlery, and napkins while Darien brought the food out. As soon as Darien had brought out the salad dressing they sat down and Serena dished out the food. For a few minutes they ate in silence. Serena was starved and it showed as she ate her food and drank her apple juice like it was wine. Finally Darien spoke up while Serena put a second helping of food on his plate.  
  
"So how was the meeting with my mother?"  
  
Her hand stopped in mid air as she swallowed and blinked then she went back to serving. If Darien noticed the pause he didn't say anything.  
  
"It was nice, your mother is very...very...royal."  
  
Darien laughed. "Royal? That's a great way to describe mother."  
  
"Well isn't it true?" Serena asked setting down the serving spoon and picking up her fork.  
  
Darien stopped laughing and picked up his fork also. "I guess you can say that's true. Mother is very royal, I guess that's why she's such a great queen."  
  
"She invited me to a ball," Serena said looking to change the subject.  
  
"The ball she's holding in two weeks to honor Lord Enterbury?" Darien asked setting down his fork.  
  
"Um yea, she said I was to come as you and her's personal guest."  
  
"Serena that's wonderful!" Darien took her hand and squeezed it.  
  
"Why is it wonderful?"  
  
"Because you can meet all my friends and see what its like to be royal," Darien replied.  
  
"Why would I want to see what its like to be royal?" Serena asked laughing in a confused way.  
  
"Because if everything goes right you may become royal sooner then you can expect," Darien replied looking straight in her eyes.  
  
Suddenly all laughter went out of her system and Serena was staring into Darien's eyes. She swallowed once then stood up. "I'll get the chocolate cake," she said hoarsely and walked into the kitchen. There was no way she was going to tell him about his mother. It would just be better that he never found out.  
  
Serena pulled out some cake plates and went to get the chocolate cake from the counter. What was she going to do? Tell him that his mother had all but engaged him to a beautiful princess name Jeanette? No she was going to be strong. Serena remembered the sunset room and the ice cream along with her determined thoughts. She wasn't going to let a queen stand in her way of love. Serena smiled and cut the cake. She was not going to let Darien find out what his said to her. Everything was going to be fine. Serena picked up the plates of cake and walked back into the main room where she greeted Darien with a bright smile. He never needed to know.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"So what time are you picking me up for the party on Saturday?" Serena asked a little while later as they sipped cups of coffee fragrant with chamomile.  
  
"I thought I told you?"  
  
Serena grinned guiltily. "I forgot."  
  
"Oh I see. Well I thought I'd pick you up at 3pm. I would like to take my car but mother insists I take the limo and bring Eric along with."  
  
"Eric is nice."  
  
"Yea and he's also strong. He can bench press over three hundred," Darien replied.  
  
"Wow no wonder he's so lumpy." Serena took a sip of coffee and looked out the windows behind her. The city was lit up with lights as cars drove up and down the streets.  
  
Darien was watching her when he put down his coffee up and moved closer to her taking her coffee cup out of her hands and setting it next to his. Gently he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her. Serena responded to the kiss which slowly grew deeper till he was pressing her down against the couch with him on top.  
  
"Darien," she whispered against his lips.  
  
"What is it Serena?" He asked kissing her deeply.  
  
"We can't do it."  
  
"What?" He stopped kissing her and looked down into her blue eyes.  
  
"We can't do it. I'm not ready," she said softly.  
  
Darien let out a sigh and got up from on top of her and sat down on the other side of the couch. Serena scrambled up and looked at him.  
  
"I'm sorry but I'm not ready to sleep with you. I sometimes think I am but in truth I'm not."  
  
Darien ran his hand through his hair and looked at her. For a second she feared that he was going to get up and leave her just sitting there on the couch but he didn't. He smiled and moved closer to her once again pressing her down into the couch.  
  
"We don't have to sleep together but we can kiss can't we," he asked giving her a devilish look.  
  
Serena smiled as the relief flowed through her. She raised her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "I like that idea."  
  
Darien lowered his head and gently kissed her while she ran her hand through his jet black hair with the lights from the lamps on either sides of the couch glowed down on them.  
  
Chapter nine will be out soon! Please stay tuned! In the meantime please read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you! 


	9. An Everly Tale Nine

An Everly Tale Chapter Nine By A Shot of Amber  
  
Wow this story is getting long! I'm glad to see you back though! Please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Nine  
  
"So all you did was make-out all night?" Lita asked as she helped Serena straighten her skirt.  
  
"Yea, kind of like high school students. We did it, right there on the couch until his cell phone went off and he was forced to leave."  
  
"Who was calling?"  
  
Serena smiled and turned around to look at the back of herself in the mirror. "His friend Andrew. Andrew apparently wanted to know where Darien was since he had some kind of meeting to attend the next morning."  
  
"Then what time did he leave?" Lita asked letting go of the skirt and looking up at Serena.  
  
"I think it was about 1am when he finally left."  
  
"So you made out for three hours?" Lita asked looking shocked.  
  
"Not for three hours. We also did the dishes and put away the food. Its in my refrigerator right now. We probably only made out for like an hour and half before we stopped."  
  
Lita stood up and brushed off her skirt. "You are so lucky, meeting a guy who cares about you enough to wash the dishes with you."  
  
Serena laughed and faced Lita. "He's a real sweetie. He's like the perfect gentleman."  
  
Lita smiled also. "You're very lucky then."  
  
"I'm glad I am," Serena replied but suddenly the queen's words filled her head as she walked over to the closet to get shoes. She was thinking about what the queen had said about Jeanette and how Darien was very close to her. Quickly Serena shook the thoughts of her head and bent down to pick up some shoes, the same ones she had worn to the tea ceremony. They would perfectly match her blue jeans skirt and white V-neck top.  
  
Lita was looking at her watch when Serena turned back around to sit on the bed and put on her shoes.  
  
"Hey I'm sorry Serena but I got to go. I have to be at the café in about half an hour to start my shift. I hope you have a good time at the party and make sure to tell me all about it!"  
  
"I'll be sure to do that. Have fun at work," Serena replied pulling on a shoe and bending down to lace it up.  
  
"Bye!" Lita waved at her then walked out of the room while Serena finished putting on her shoes. When she was finished with that she stood up took a quick appraisal of appearance of her outfit in the mirror. Yes she looked very nice, fresh and casual. Serena smiled at her reflection and walked out of the room down the hall and into the main room. Sunlight poured out of the windows onto the wooden floor. Serena walked through this sunlight to look out the window. She didn't see a limo but instead a small crowd of people standing around so she walked over to the couch and sat down.  
  
The phone was no longer accentually ringing non-stop like it had a few days ago. At Darien's suggestion she had had the line changed to an unlisted private line. Her friends and family was given the number but only people she could trust and so far it had worked. She wasn't getting calls from the media or perverts wanting to do crazy things to her. Instead the phone was like it was before the media hype quietly sitting in the same place only ringing once in awhile. Serena didn't get a lot of calls. She usually was the one to do the calling.  
  
Now Serena tucked her hands under her legs and looked into the kitchen. The clock said 3:05pm. He was five minutes late but that was alright, five minutes was nothing. Serena rocked her heels and looked instead at the door. Maybe at this very moment Darien's limo was pulling up to the curb and Eric was getting out and was about to ask to be buzzed in....buzz!  
  
Serena jumped as the buzzing sound filled the room.  
  
"Wow talk about ESP," Serena said to herself as she got up and walked over to the intercom. "Just a moment I'll be right down." She let go of the button and picked up her purse from the floor and opened the door to let herself out. She went down four flights of stairs, excitement fueling her along till she was standing in front of the glass and wood door where Eric stood looking into the foyer. Serena smiled and opened the door and immediately a bevy of reporters who obviously had found out about the date started taking pictures and asking questions. Eric took her arm and closed the door for her.  
  
"Come on Miss Tuskino. Just hold on to me." He began to pull her through the crowd towards the limo where the door was opening up. Serena followed him and as soon as they got to the limo she climbed in and shut the door behind her. The reporters pressed themselves against the glass trying to snap pictures of her and Darien but they had no luck because as soon as Eric climbed in and shut the door they were off driving down the street.  
  
"Hi," Serena said breathlessly as she settled into her seat next to Darien.  
  
"I'm really sorry about the reporters. I'm not really sure how they found out about the party," Darien apologized leaning over to kiss Serena.  
  
She just laughed, shook her head, and kissed him. "I'm not worried. They usually are hanging around my apartment hoping you'll show up. Only sometimes they go home or go to bug someone else."  
  
"Well then I won't worry about it. Instead I'll say that you look absolutely beautiful."  
  
Serena smiled again and set her purse down on the floor at her feet. "I hope this is casual enough for the party. I didn't want to be too casual but then again I didn't want to be so overdressed I would stand out. So I wore a jean skirt and a nice blouse."  
  
"On you it looks beautiful."  
  
"Thank you! Oh and before I forget. I got Rei a gift!" Serena said bending down to rummage through her purse. She pulled out a small bow wrapped in red wrapping paper with a white bow on top of it.  
  
"Hey that's really nice. What did you get her?"  
  
"A crystal cup with birds incrusted in it and a small red candle. I wanted to get her something red after you told me she liked that color." Serena set the gift down on the seat and pulled out a card to go with it. " Did you get her something?"  
  
"I got her a bouquet of Casablanca's," Darien replied picking up a bouquet of white flowers from the floor.  
  
"They are lovely!" Serena exclaimed leaning forward to smell the flowers and touch one petal. "I've never heard of them."  
  
"They aren't as popular as roses are but they still are beautiful," Darien replied smelling the flowers himself then setting them down next to Serena's gift.  
  
Serena nodded then looked out the window. They were moving through the city towards the hills on the edge of the city."So where does Rei live?"  
  
"She lives near our summer estate in the hills on the outside of the city. Her father is one of the leading politician's in the parliament. Did you know that our government follows the government styles of the English? My grandfather was very much taken with the English so he set a lot of our government policies to follow theirs."  
  
"I didn't know that," Serena mummered.  
  
"Yea, he also built our current summer house. He called it Green Acres which always made me want to sing the theme song from the cult TV show when I was kid. Mother hated it. She always reprimanded me about my singing by saying young children didn't speak unless spoken too." Darien laughed softly and shook his head. "My grandfather was a lot of fun when I was a kid. He loved that house; my grandmother died there so after her death he lived there all the time and abdicated the throne to my mother so he could live in peace on Green Acres. He never wanted to come back to the city or the palace for fear of not being in his home when he died."  
  
"Did he die on Green Acres?" Serena asked softly.  
  
"Yea, he had a heart attack one night in his room all alone. His valet found him the next morning. He said that grandfather had a very peaceful look on his face like he had seen the light and his beloved wife."  
  
"That's so sad..." Serena sniffed and brushed her nose with her hand.  
  
"Yea it is but its still a beautiful place. When it opens up next month I'll take you there to see it. You'll love it," Darien replied patting her knee.  
  
"If it's a summer house then why does Rei live in her home all year long?""  
  
"Her father gave her the option to. Actually he lives in a townhouse in the city while Rei lives alone in the big house. She and her father don't get along to well so they tend to stay away from each other as much as possible. I doubt he'll be at he party today, parliaments in session and there is no way he'll leave that even for his daughter's birthday."  
  
"That's so sad," Serena replied looking out the window again to see them passing trees and hills covered with greenery.  
  
"It is but Rei is happier that way. Believe me you'll understand when you meet her." Darien looked out his window and a silence lapsed over them. It lasted till they pulled into a tree lined drive way and drove up to a big white house with green shutters and a balcony running the length of the front of the house. Serena climbed out of the limo all the time looking up at the huge house in front of her. She was studying the intricate scrolls of the metal balcony when Darien came around from the other side of the car and handed her Rei's gift and put his arm around her to lead her up the steps into the house.  
  
They walked through a cool and dimly lit hallway into the backyard filled with people laughing, talking, drinking, and eating from small paper plates. To one side standing on the glass enclosed patio was a girl with long black hair. Darien walked straight over to the girl dragging Serena with him.  
  
"Rei!"  
  
The girl turned around and looked at them. She was slightly taller then Serena with long black hair to her waist. She wearing a white sleeveless dress with a blue halter top over that and a pair of scuffed up combat boots. Serena instantly noticed her eyes which were a deep purple under almond shaped lids.  
  
"Rei! Happy birthday!" Darien let go of Serena and went over to give Rei a hug. He then let go and turned to Serena with his arm still around Rei." Rei I would like you to meet my girlfriend Serena Tuskino."  
  
"Its very nice to meet you," Serena said holding out one hand.  
  
Rei studied her for a second with those almond shaped purple eyes then smiled and walked over to Serena.  
  
"Its very nice to meet you Miss Tuskino." She shook Serena's hand softly then let go. "I'm glad you could come to my party and I'm glad I could meet you. Darien as told me a lot about you."  
  
"He's told me a lot about you also," Serena replied. "He told me that your father is a politician in this country."  
  
Something around Rei's mouth hardened and she looked away. Serena instantly felt like a fool. She should have never said that but Rei was looking at her again and instantly Serena began to blush. Surprisingly Rei smiled again and stepped forward to take Serena's hand.  
  
"Come with me Miss Tuskino. We can get a cup of punch and get to know one another."  
  
"Please call me Serena," Serena replied looking over her shoulder at Darien but he just gestured for her to follow Rei.  
  
"Only if you call me Rei."  
  
"Alright, Rei."  
  
Rei smiled and led her towards a table filled with food and drink. A bartender stood behind the drinks taking orders and filling them. When it was the girls turn Rei turned towards Serena.  
  
"What would you like to drink?" She asked.  
  
"Um, do you have vodka and cranberry juice?" Serena asked then began to blush because she didn't know the name of the drink.  
  
Rei smiled at Serena's red face, a serene knowing smile. She then turned to the bartender. "We'll have a sea breeze and a green tea."  
  
The bartender nodded and began to prepare the drinks. Serena sighed happily and excepted her sea breeze. Rei took her green tea and turned to Serena.  
  
"Would you like to meet some of my friends?"  
  
"Uh, sure," Serena replied licking the liquid off her lips.  
  
"Follow me then." Rei walked over to a small group of people while Serena followed her.  
  
"Amy. Greg. I would like you to meet the prince's new girlfriend." She gestured to Serena. "This is Serena Tuskino."  
  
"Its very nice to meet you," Serena replied putting out one hand.  
  
Greg pulled out his hand from the pocket of his sports coat and shook Serena's hand. "Its very nice to meet you." He then pulled back and allowed the petite blue haired girl next to him to shake Serena's hand.  
  
"I'm glad I could finally meet you Miss Tuskino," Amy said shaking Serena's hand and smiling at her.  
  
"Please call me Serena," Serena replied letting go of Amy's hand. " Are you a friend of Rei's?"  
  
"Yes we both are." Amy placed her arm through Greg's. "I've known Rei and Greg since high school.  
  
"Where did you go to school?" Serena asked taking a sip of her drink.  
  
Greg grinned. "We all went to the same high school but Amy and I went to the same college."  
  
"We went to a university in Germany," Amy added.  
  
"And both got our degree's in medicine," Greg finished.  
  
"Wow, that's really interesting," Serena replied smiling at both of them.  
  
Rei wasn't looking at them but instead behind her at a blond man walking with a blond womyn who was slightly shorter then him. Her eyes to seemed to be filling with something akin to pain and sadness.  
  
"I didn't know he be here," Amy whispered to Greg keeping her eyes on the man and womyn.  
  
"Who is he?" Serena asked turning her eyes away from the couple to Amy and Greg.  
  
"That's Rei's father's assistant and his wife," Amy replied softly keeping her eyes on Rei who was watching them with a far away look on her face. The look quickly disappeared and she turned back to the others. " Excuse me for a moment please. I want to go in and check the food. Serena will you be alright?"  
  
"Yes of course," Serena replied.  
  
Rei nodded her head and turned to walk into the glassed in porch area on the way into the house. She never looked at her father's assistant who watched her walk past then turned back to answer a question his wife was asking him.  
  
"I didn't know he'd be here," Darien said walking up to Serena and putting his arm around her.  
  
"Her father's assistant?" Serena asked looking up at Darien.  
  
"Yea and he's a bastard. I can't believe Rei invited him," Darien growled giving the guy a dirty look.  
  
"He obviously did something wrong," Serena said turning to Amy and Greg.  
  
"He broke her heart," Amy whispered.  
  
"Rei was in love with him for a long time. She was so in love with him that we thought she may marry him. He seemed the same way, he always was there for her but then one day out of the blue he announces his engagement to a political companion's daughter and marries her in a large public ceremony. Rei was heartbroken, she thought he would marry her when she came of age," Darien replied bitterly.  
  
"How old was she?"  
  
"She was twenty when it happened. Just days before the wedding she turned twenty one," Amy replied.  
  
"She went into a deep funk afterwards and left the country for awhile to live with her grandfather," Greg added.  
  
Serena looked over at the glass porch where Rei had walked in. She couldn't see anything at first but then the figure materialized, Rei was walking out onto the porch area holding a tray of snow peas stuffed with crème cheese. She was holding her head high and smiling at the people she passed.  
  
"I can't believe that guy had the nerve to come to the party," Darien growled.  
  
"Hush Darien," Amy held out one hand. "You know that Rei would never turn him away. He spent all those years with her on her birthday, its kind of a tradition for them."  
  
"It's a pretty crazed tradition," Darien replied but he shoved his clenched fist into his pocket and didn't say anything more.  
  
Rei walked past her father's assistant again without looking at him. He watched her walk past than turned back to the conversation going on with his wife and another couple. Darien's arm tightened around Serena's shoulder. She could tell he was angry but wasn't going to do anything about it.  
  
"Darien don't worry, Rei is a strong womyn," Amy said softly patting Darien's arm.  
  
He looked down at her with her blue eyes staring up into his own and smiled. "I'll be good Amy, don't worry I won't cause any fights."  
  
Amy smiled up at him and let go of his arm. Rei was setting the tray of snow peas on the table of food then turned to answer a question someone asked her. She laughed aloud but her eyes still looked sad. She was really hurting.  
  
"On her birthday ever since I've known her and before that he would give her a white dress and flowers," Amy said looking at the straps of the white dress peeking out of Rei's top. "He stopped doing that when he got married, maybe his wife didn't like it. She got her last dress when she was twenty and every year ever since she's worn it."  
  
"You mean that she's worn the same dress every year for her birthday because he gave her the dress?"  
  
"Rei is a stickler for tradition. Her grandfather is a Shinto priest who follows all the traditions of his religion. He taught Rei to be the same way," Greg added.  
  
"So she's Shinto? She must have lived in Japan for that time she was out of the country."  
  
"She lived in Tokyo in her grandfather's shrine before she came back here. Now she follows all the sanctions of the Shinto religion. She doesn't chase after boys or encourage their advances. She's locked herself away from the world," Greg replied.  
  
"She didn't lock herself away. She got her heart broken Greg. If you got your heart broken would you want to love again?" Amy asked chiding him gently.  
  
"Now would you break my heart Amy?"  
  
Serena turned away from the flirting couple to look at Rei who was laughing and chatting with two elderly womyn wearing flowery chintz dresses.  
  
"She's so sad..." her brain echoed. "I hope I never have to go through a pain like that. Seeing the live of my life with another womyn, it would break me."  
  
Chapter ten will be out soon! Please in the meantime read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com. Thank you! 


	10. An Everly Tale Ten

An Everly Tale Chapter Ten By A Shot of Amber  
  
Please read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to SaphriansWaterReflectionhotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Ten  
  
After the party everything seemed to move quickly. She went on another date with Darien to have dinner and talked about the ball which was in the next week. She also bought a dress for the ball the day after she received her invitation. It was printed on glossy white paper with curvy black letters and a pink ribbon at the top. Serena got the invitation on a Friday and bought the dress the next day. It was very beautiful, a long pale blue sheaf dress with two straps that tied on her shoulders and one long boa like piece of fabric that hung off her right shoulder all the way down to her knees. She also bought a pair of strappy blue shoes to match and made an appointment to get her hair done on the day of the ball.  
  
Soon the day came and Serena found herself in a beauty parlor while the stylist complained about Serena's hair which was to long for most modern styles. Finally she was replaced by a different stylist who fixed Serena's hair into a french knot with some pearl pins that Serena had bought to be put in her hair. With the heavy creation on to her head she left the beauty parlor and walked home to get dressed. Mina and Lita were rounded up to help her get ready which included a whole bunch of beauty procedures Serena had never heard of including green mud masks and soaking her nails in liquid soap. While Lita fixed her hands up with fake nails Mina slathered on the make-up which she said had to be heavy so it appeared on the cameras that would un-doubtly be taking pictures of her and Darien. She allowed it all to happen and finally around 6:30pm she got up and begin to tedious process of getting dressed. Serena pulled on her dress being especially careful not to make a mess of her perfect hair and Lita zipped her up. Mina helped her pull on the long white gloves she had bought for the ball while Lita slipped the shoes on her feet.  
  
"I hope I don't have to pee tonight," Serena said as Mina smoothed out the gloves. "Because there is no way I pull these gloves on and off tonight. Do I have to eat with these things?"  
  
"Just be careful when you eat," Mina replied. "If you do spill something on them then take them off and shove them into your purse."  
  
"Yea like those gloves are going to fit in a little clutch purse like that," Lita replied pointing to the small blue purse laying on the dresser.  
  
"I just won't spill then." Serena replied getting up and taking a few steps in her shoes. The heels made her feel taller but also like she was going to fall on her face. While she walked around the room getting used to the heels Mina filled her purse with things she would need including a powder compact, bubble gum colored lipstick, and breath mints.  
  
"I'm ready," Serena declared taking the purse from Mina and walking out of the bedroom.  
  
"She's ready," Lita replied turning to Mina and smiling. They followed Serena out of the room and down the hall into the main room where Serena was looking out on of the bay windows.  
  
"I hope he gets here soon," Serena said rubbing her hands together nervously.  
  
"He'll get here." Mina walked over to Serena and led her to the couch and sat her down. "Now relax so you don't ruin the perfect make-up job I did on you."  
  
Serena sat down and clutched her purse in her hands. Mina sat down next to her and looked at Lita who was looking out the window. For a few minutes they were silent until Lita cried out.  
  
"I see the limo. It just pulled up!"  
  
Serena jumped up but Mina caught her and held her back from the door. "Let him come up to meet you."  
  
"Yes of course," Serena replied sitting down again. Lita walked over and buzzed Darien in than sat down in an armchair. A minute later the doorbell went off and Serena jumped up again but Lita was quicker.  
  
"Let me get it," she replied heading for the door. Serena nodded and smoothed out her dress.  
  
Lita opened the door to reveal Darien standing there holding a corsage and a purple velvet box. He looked a little shocked to see her standing there than smiled.  
  
"Are you one of Serena's friends?" He asked politely.  
  
"Yes I'm Lita Kino your highness," Lita replied holding the door open for him.  
  
Darien laughed and stepped inside. "Please don't call me that. I hate those words," he replied as his eyes fell upon Serena who was standing next to the couch and Mina. Suddenly the laughter stopped as he got a look at her. Serena smiled at him as he could only stare.  
  
"Hi," she said softly.  
  
"Wow," he breathed then grinned. "You look absolutely beautiful. No more than beautiful, you look breath taking."  
  
Serena smiled happily as he walked forward and handed her the corsage box.  
  
"Flowers? Thank you!" Serena replied taking the box and untying the ribbon.  
  
"Wow its just like an American prom!" Mina clapped her hands happily as Serena opened the box and pulled out white and pink roses tied by pale blue ribbon.  
  
Darien took the corsage and slipped it onto her wrist while Serena blushed and watched him.  
  
"You know we should get going," Lita said breaking in and reached over to grab Mina's hand and pull her away from the couple.  
  
"Why? I wanted to see them off," Mina cried as Lita pulled her out the door.  
  
"You can look out the window to see them off. Right now they need to be alone," Lita replied as she shut the door leaving Serena and Darien alone in the room.  
  
"I'm sorry about them," Serena apologized shaking her head in disbelief. "I had no idea they would be so embarrassing."  
  
Darien laughed and shook his head. "Its no problem. I like them."  
  
"They are wonderful."  
  
"Yes they are and before I forget I have something for you." He handed her the purple velvet box.  
  
"What is it?" Serena asked turning it over in her hands.  
  
"Open it and see," he replied with a veiled look in his eyes.  
  
Serena looked up at him then opened the box to reveal a diamond necklace studded with pale blue heart shaped sapphires.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Serena breathed putting one hand to her throat then looking up at him in shock.  
  
"It suits you," Darien replied picking up the necklace from the box and walking behind her to slip it around her neck.  
  
"It must have cost what? A million dollars?" Serena asked touching the necklace while he fastened the clasp and stepped back.  
  
"It actually costs ninety thousand dollars but I got it on a loan,"  
  
"You mean you borrowed it?"  
  
"Yea, I borrowed it for only tonight so please don't loose it or I'll be forced to tell you the story of the womyn who lost her friends diamond necklace and was forced to spend thirty years paying it back."  
  
"And then she found out it was fake?" Serena asked turning around to face him.  
  
"Yea! You've heard the story?"  
  
"I read it in my English high school class."  
  
"Well then you know the story and know not to loose the necklace or I'll be forced to lock you in the dungeon."  
  
"Your mother would like that," Serena muttered.  
  
"What?" Darien asked not really hearing her.  
  
"Nothing. Come on lets get going, I don't want to be late," she replied taking his hand and pulling him towards the door.  
  
"You want to get there to face the press?" He laughed.  
  
"Of course! I'm a pro at this!" Serena replied shutting off the lights and pulling him out the door.  
  
They descended down the stairs with Serena holding onto the railing with one hand and holding up her skirt with the other. In the lobby Eric stood wearing a suit with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"Your majesty are you ready? They're getting wild out there," he said jerking his head towards the press who were pressed against the door taking pictures.  
  
"I'm ready." He turned to Serena. "We have to run through the press to get to the limo so hold onto my arm and don't let go. Eric will lead us and push away anyone who gets in the way."  
  
"Alright," she nodded taking a hold of his arm and looking out the door.  
  
Outside the doors the paparazzi were crying out their names and flashing bulbs into her eyes. Eric opened the door and began pushing people out of the way. Darien tightened his hold on her arm and led her out into the crowd. Serena stopped on the stoop to look down at the steps when someone's voice broke through the din. She looked up and let go of Darien's arm as the crowd closed in around her taking pictures and calling out her name. Than an arm broke through the crowd and snaked itself around her waist and pulled her down the steps and through the crowd into the limo.  
  
"Why did you let go?" Darien asked her as she settled into the limo while Eric closed the door and climbed into the passenger seat in the front.  
  
"I guess I was blinded by the lights and I heard someone calling my name," Serena replied smoothing her dress underneath her so it didn't wrinkle.  
  
"You scared me there for a moment when I lost you."  
  
Serena smiled and settled back in her seat. "You'll never loose me."  
  
Soon they arrived at the ball which was being held in the palace ball room. As the limo pulled up to the doors where security agents stood watching people stroll into the palace Serena looked out seeing lights flashing and people walking inside.  
  
Eric climbed out of the limo and opened the door for Serena who climbed out to see people turning around and looking at her before breaking into conversation as Darien climbed out behind her and put his arm around her.  
  
"Are you ready to go in?" He asked leading her towards the entrance.  
  
"Oh yes, of course," Serena replied allowing him to lead her in.  
  
They passed people who smiled and greeted Darien and looked at her with glances before they turned back to their partners and whispered softly. Serena nodded and smiled at people around her all the time wondering what they were saying about her since they were obviously talking about her. She didn't have much time to wonder though as they walked into the palace and went through security before entered the main foyer.  
  
Serena looked up and around her stopping to gape at the décor. The walls were painted a glowing crème colored and hung with pictures and fluted wall scones that were all alight adding to the light from the giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Underneath the chandelier people dressed to the nines and within inches of their lives mingled and spoke among each other. Many of the womyn were wearing large flashy jewels like the necklace she wore. Their diamonds and sapphires and rubies all seemed to glow with their own light. Serena watched as a womyn in a strapless red dress with a large ruby necklace around her neck walked past and stole a glance at Darien who was talking to a couple that had just walked in. Serena watched as the womyn gave Darien a sultry look then walked over to a group of womyn where one seemed to stand out.  
  
It was a beautiful womyn wearing a dark green dress cut and styled in the empire style. She wore a choker of emeralds and diamonds and small earrings to match. Her dark brown hair was styled and curled around her face in waves that hung down to her shoulders. She was positively breath taking and seemed to make every person around her dim in comparison next to her.  
  
"Lady Jeanette! Lady Jeanette! I'm so glad to see you here!" Someone called making the dark haired girl turn away from Serena's glance.  
  
"Are you ready to go in?" Darien asked taking her arm.  
  
"Oh yes," she replied slipping her arm through his and following him into the ballroom.  
  
The queen stood near to the front in a line of people nodding her head to people who bowed or curtsied to her. As the people passed the queen and exchanged pleasantries to her they moved past other people obviously important politicians. These men and womyn were dressed a little more modestly then some of the younger men and womyn who were milling around the ballroom.  
  
"Looks like mother has already started the receiving line."  
  
"Who are those people with her?" Serena asked.  
  
"Politicians and advisors of my mother," Darien replied as a man wearing a tuxedo caught their eyes and rushed forward towards them.  
  
"Your majesty you are supposed to be in the receiving line!" The man cried grabbing Darien's arm and began to drag him over towards the queen.  
  
"Edward do I have to do this?" Darien asked looking back at Serena.  
  
"The queen insists and I dare not cross her. This a huge ball and the queen is trying to make it success. Now come and follow me. You can meet your friend later." The man began pulling Darien towards the line. Darien looked back at her and mouthed that he was sorry before letting go of her hand. She watched as he stepped into place next to the queen.  
  
Serena was now left standing alone. She looked around her figuring her purse in her hands when suddenly she heard a silvery laughter and turned to see the dark haired girl, Lady Jeanette, walking in with an older couple. Serena watched as they walked past her and up to the queen who smiled and extended her hand to the older lady. The older lady curtsied then brought Lady Jeanette forward who also curtsied to the queen and then to Darien. Darien smiled and kissed her hand before she and the older couple, obviously her parents took their places next to Darien and the queen. Jeanette smiled up at Darien who smiled back down at her then turned to greet another guest.  
  
Meanwhile Serena watched the whole thing from a distance where she stood as her boyfriend kissed the hand of a beautiful womyn then smile down at her.  
  
"Isn't she lovely?"  
  
Serena turned to see a elderly womyn dressed in a orange dress trimmed with feathers holding a glass of champagne standing next to her.  
  
"Who is lovely?" Serena asked politely.  
  
"Why Lady Jeanette of England of course. They say she's the prime catch of the season."  
  
Serena looked over at Jeanette who was saying something to Darien. Darien was listening intently and smiling down at her.  
  
"Yes she is very lovely," Serena replied faintly.  
  
The lady in orange nodded and took a sip of her champagne. "The queen has made a good match between those two. She says that since the first day when they met in Sweden they clicked. I also heard he's been seeing her secretly ever since he returned."  
  
"How! I mean how can he be seeing her when she lives in England and he lives in Basalt?" Serena asked her voice raising then lowering itself as she asked the question more demurely.  
  
"Haven't you heard? Lady Jeanette and her family have been staying in the country for a few weeks now. They came here in honor of the ball and to make a match with the prince."  
  
Serena looked over at Darien and Jeanette. He was greeting a young couple but as he shook the hand of the man his sleeve brushed Jeanette's arm. It was an innocent gesture but enough to make Serena suddenly feel a sickening sensation in her stomach. She watched as Jeanette smiled up at Darien, a purely seductive smile, then turned and said something to her mother.  
  
"Are you alright dear? You suddenly look quite pale," the lady in orange said peering into her face.  
  
Serena swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "I just need some fresh air. I feel a little faint, excuse me please." Serena walked off headed in a blind direction away from the receiving line. She looked around her and noticed the huge double doors heading out onto the balcony. Serena threaded her way through the crowd until she was outside and breathing in the fresh air in deep gulps. The few people standing outside watched as the pretty blond girl dressed in the blue dress with her boa floating behind walked over to the edge of the balcony and placed both hands on the railing. She looked out over the gardens that receded into the darkness over to the banks of the river and then beyond that the city. In the city lights twinkled and shone like bright stars underneath the velvet sky.  
  
Inside a burst of laughter made her turn around and look into the ballroom but she couldn't see where the laughter was coming from. It was probably Jeanette making a joke. Of course she was perfect, why not she have a sense of humor. Serena turned back to the cities lights and tightened her grip on the stone railing. She was distraught and mad and a million other emotions that seemed to boil inside her and all the time her heart was telling her to shut up and listen to it.  
  
Deep down inside her heart was telling her that the raging jealousy she was feeling at the fact of Darien's hand kiss with the beautiful Jeanette was just nothing. She needed to relax and give him the benefit of the doubt. She needed to stop listening to her mind and listen to her heart. Serena smiled and ran her hands over the railing. She needed to go in there and see if the receiving line was done with so she could get back with Darien. Yes, that's what she needed to do. Serena let go of the railing and walked back into the ballroom. The contrast from the darkness to the light briefly blinded her causing her to lift one hand to her eyes. The laughter was coming from a group of people standing near the punch bowl. Serena lowered her hand as she saw Darien standing among a group of people. Serena smiled and walked over to them her heels clicking loudly on the tiled floor.  
  
Darien turned around at the sound of shoes and smiled as he saw her. "Serena! I was wondering where you are! Come over here I would like to introduce you to the Lady Jeanette."  
  
Serena's smile faltered slightly at the sound of Jeanette's name but became strong again as she joined the group and saw Rei standing among the people dressed in a red dress with her hair pulled back except for two braids threaded through with red ribbon. Rei smiled at her and raised her glass of champagne slightly to her. Serena smiled back then turned to Darien and blanched.  
  
Jeanette stood next to Darien dressed in her emeralds and diamonds smiled a smug knowing smile with her arm linked through Darien's. Serena looked at the linked arms of the two then up at Darien who was looking down at her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away from Darien and Jeanette. She didn't want to see those linked arms. Rei must have noticed this because she quickly came to the rescue.  
  
"Everyone I would like to introduce you to Miss Serena Tuskino. She's Darien's girlfriend," she added with an emphasis on girlfriend."  
  
The group quickly looked over at Jeanette who had a hurtful look on her face but didn't let go of Darien's arm. They quickly shook off the confused state and smiled over at Serena shaking her hand and asking her how she did.  
  
"I didn't know you were Darien's girlfriend," Jeanette said giving Serena a catty knowing look. "I thought he only dated royalty and you are most definetly not royalty."  
  
"No I'm not," Serena replied tightly. "And I'm glad I'm not. I would hate to be cornered for every little thing I do wrong such as being caught skinny dipping in my family's pool with a past boyfriend."  
  
Jeanette flushed angrily and tightened her hold on Darien's arm. " Darien I feel faint please take me outside for some air," she said glaring at Serena. Obviously Serena had hit the right nail on the head. Silently she thanked the internet and Royal magazine for giving her the story.  
  
Darien was looking at Serena in shock while Jeanette pulled on his arm and began to lead him towards the balcony. He gained his composure and stopped Jeanette while looking at Serena.  
  
"Serena I think we need to talk," Darien said detaching Jeanette's grip on his arm.  
  
Serena lifted her head and took his extended arm and followed him away from the group who was watching with some interest while Jeanette glared openly at them. A few feet away from the group Darien let go of her am and stood over her looking into her eyes.  
  
"Why were you so rude to Jeanette? That was really out of character Serena."  
  
"That was out of character?" Serena asked angrily. "How about you being out of character by letting that octopus put her arm through yours. She was positively glowing standing next to you. You two looked like a couple!"  
  
"I was being nice! Lady Jeanette is a guest in my country and I must show her the best time possible. She means nothing to me."  
  
"Then why didn't you tell me that you saw her in Sweden when you lied to me about where you were going? Your mother told me that you two really hit it off and it really shows!"  
  
"Serena you are being jealous. You need to calm down," Darien took both her arms in his hands and looked straight into her eyes.  
  
"I need to calm down! How do I need to calm down? You are the one who is all but betrothed to that...that...that whore! I should have known that you were nothing but a player out for a good time. The newspapers are right Darien, you are using me!"  
  
Darien lowered his eyebrows and stood there staring at her. Suddenly he let go of her arms and brushed past her headed straight to Jeanette who smiled up at him and took his proffered arm. Together they headed towards the balcony while Serena stood there watching them. Suddenly Serena wanted to just drop to the floor and burst into tears but she didn't, instead she lifted her head high and walked over to the group where Rei stood.  
  
"Rei where is the punch bowl? I need a drink," Serena said not letting herself see Darien and Jeanette disappear into the darkness.  
  
Rei looked at her for a second then stepped back to reveal the punch bowl. Serena walked over and filled up a cup. She gulped it down and gasped at the taste of alcohol in the liquid but that didn't stop her from filling the cup again and gulping down the drink.  
  
"Serena be careful there is a lot of alcohol in there," Rei whispered as Serena filled her cup again.  
  
"I don't care, I hope I get drunk," Serena replied gulping down the liquid and reaching for the ladle once more. Rei stopped her though. She grabbed Serena's wrists and removed the cup from her hand.  
  
"Serena you are making a scene now please stop," Rei said calmly but Serena yanked her wrists out of Rei's hands.  
  
"I don't care if I make a scene! I don't care about anything except getting rid of that skanky whore that is all over my man!" Serena cried then turned and stomped off headed in a blind direction. Rei just stood there watching her then turned back to the punch bowl. What could she do? Serena was obviously in love and way out of her régime. Rei sighed and figured the empty punch glass, suddenly she felt very lonely.  
  
Meanwhile Serena found her way to a waiter carrying a tray of champagne. She took a glass and gulped it down as if she were parched then took another glass. It was with this glass that she found a table and sat down to watch the going on's of the ball. The receiving line was gone and people were dancing and talking among themselves. Dinner would be at midnight but now it was only 10pm. She still had a couple hours before she could escape. Serena put her head in her arms, suddenly the room seemed to spin about her, the alcohol was taking effect.  
  
When she lifted her head again it seemed the time had passed or maybe nothing had passed at all. Her stomach felt queasy and her tongue felt parched but that didn't matter as much as the fact that she could see Darien dancing with Jeanette. The band was playing a slow song, a song that in later years she would come to hate even though she had once loved it.  
  
Serena stood up none to steady and began to walk over towards the two. She would show him who he was supposed to be dancing with! Not that cow Jeanette but instead her! Serena! Darien's back was to her so he didn't see Serena walking towards him but Jeanette did. She smiled and moved one hand up Darien's back to his neck. She whispered something to him while she lowered his head and kissed him on the lips.  
  
And the thing that was the most shocking was the fact that Darien didn't break away. He just kissed her while Serena stood there watching and feeling the water in her stomach rise to her eyes. Tears were falling down her face as she cried out in pain.  
  
"Darien! How could you?" She cried the tears running hot and fast. Meanwhile Darien raised his head and turned to see Serena standing there.  
  
"Serena!" He gasped as she turned and ran out of the room only tripping on her skirt once before she picked it up.  
  
"Oh god Serena!" Darien cried as he let go of Jeanette and began to run after but was stopped by Jeanette.  
  
"Darien don't make a scene!" Jeanette warned grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "You know she's not worth it."  
  
Darien stopped and turned around to look at Jeanette. "The only thing not worth is you."  
  
Meanwhile Rei broke through the crowd and ran up to Darien. She grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Jeanette.  
  
"Rei! What are you doing?" Darien asked in a shocked way.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?" Rei hissed letting go of his arm. "Do you realize that Serena just saw what you did."  
  
"Serena?" Darien asked.  
  
"She saw the whole thing! She got drunk because of you and now she's headed out into the world alone."  
  
"Darien forget that dumpy girl. You have me now," Jeanette said breaking into the conversation.  
  
Darien looked at Jeanette who stood next to him holding onto his arm and smiling up at him. He moved his eyes from Jeanette to Rei who was staring right into his eyes her face set in a stiff mask.  
  
"Let go of me Jeanette," Darien replied forcibly. He wretched his arm out of hers and strode off headed in the direction Serena had gone.  
  
"Darien! Now don't you go and make a scene!" Jeanette cried running after him.  
  
"The only scene I've made is with you and I want to forget about that," Darien replied turning to stare her down before he headed off again.  
  
Jeanette stood there in the circle of people who had stopped dancing to watch the scene.  
  
Outside in the warm night air Serena ran as best as she could in her high heels over the drive way towards the entrance of the palace. The drivers of the cars parked along the street watched as she ran past them tears falling from her eyes. She was a blur of blue and white flashing past them.  
  
Nearer to the castle Darien ran down the steps and looked around him but he didn't see Serena anywhere. He quickly headed off in the direction of where the cars were parked. She may have caught a ride but then again she didn't know where their limo was parked so there was a good chance she was on foot.  
  
Serena's foot caught on hole in the driveway causing her to fall forward catching the impact with her hands. A sob tore from her throat as the rough gravel cut her hands but she stood up again wrenching loose her shoe and stood up.  
  
"Miss Tuskino?"  
  
Serena looked over to see James standing near his limo looking at her with concern. She sobbed and ran up to him.  
  
"Please take me home! I need to go home!" Serena cried cradling her hands.  
  
James looked into her tear stained eyes and nodded. He knew better then to question her. "Climb in, and I'll make this limo fly." He dropped his cigarette and ran over to the driver's side while Serena climbed into the back and slammed the door shut. James turned on the engine and they were off leaving behind the smell of exhaust fumes.  
  
Darien never saw them leave as he ran around the corner and looked around him but didn't see Serena. He saw nothing but the smoke rising from the pavement which must have meant that a car had left. Could it be her? But how could she have found her limo in the group of them parked all around him? Darien looked down the hill towards the exit but only saw darkness. That was enough for him though, he headed back towards the palace to change and find his bike.  
  
"Thank you James," Serena said as she climbed out of the limo.  
  
"Anytime Miss Tuskino," James replied touching his hat brim before she shut the door and walked up the steps to her building. Inside she climbed the three flights of stairs to Lita and Mina's apartment. She didn't want to be alone at the moment so forgetting the pain of her scrapped palms she knocked on the door.  
  
Mina was the one to answer the door dressed in her pajamas. She opened the door to reveal Serena standing there in a dirty and wrinkled dress with red palms and tear stained cheeks.  
  
"Oh sweetie," Mina mummered gathering her into a hug and pulling her into the apartment and shut the door.  
  
That was a long chapter and so difficult to write! Please be kind and read and review for my efforts or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to SaphriansWaterReflectionhotmail.com. Thank you! 


	11. An Everly Tale Eleven

An Everly Tale Chapter Eleven By A Shot of Amber  
  
Wow this has been a crazy week. I just won an award for my story "Standing in the Night"! And I get to go home tonight for the first time in a month so I'm excited about that. I also just finished reading a wonderful story by Lois Fogg called "Fire." Its located in the library section of A Sailor Moon Romance which is a wonderful site dedicated to Sailor Moon fan fiction and other genres of fan fiction also. If you are interested go to www.moonromance.net and check it out. I'm currently a member of their message board there under the name Saphrian's Reflection. Please join if you are interested. It's really a great website full of wonderful people. Okay and now on to the story!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Eleven  
  
Serena twisted a lock of hair in her hands braiding it into one long braid. She was sitting on the floor with her back to the bed leaning against it dressed in a pair of black pants and a white and blue blouse braiding her hair but now she let go of the braid and let it unwind itself as she looked across the room to the door.  
  
It had been three days since the ball. She had turned off her phone and refused to answer the door for anyone but Mina and Lita and Rei. Darien had stopped by once but she hadn't even moved from her spot on the couch while he pounded at the door and yelled for her to open it. He had stayed for maybe five minutes knocking and calling for her while she sat there looking at the door as though seeing through it to him. Finally he had left and she stood up and walked over to the window to watch him leave. She didn't see the normal limo or even his bike but instead a small red car with him at the wheel speeding away.  
  
After the ball when she had ran up the stairs and pounded on the door and after Mina and Lita had let her in she had poured out her story. Mina had sat next to her with her arm around her while Serena cried. Lita had dug out a bottle of wine and made Serena drink a glass to calm her down. It didn't really help but she did stop crying only because a pinpoint headache was starting in the middle of her forehead. Mina must have sensed this and the fact that she was tired. She stood up and led Serena out of the room and upstairs to her own apartment.  
  
"I'll make you a bath and you change out of the dress," Mina had said through Serena's haze and stepped into the bathroom.  
  
Serena didn't change though but instead just fell onto her bed and buried her head in the pillows. Maybe it was the wine or the headache or the sound of the water pouring into the tub that put her to sleep. Whatever it was when Mina walked out of the bathroom she found Serena asleep on her bed. Her face was tear stained and her hair was coming undone but at least now she was not thinking of her pain. Mina set down the towels she was holding and took her leave.  
  
Serena didn't wake up again till the next morning to find Mina once again fixing a bath and Lita fixing her some breakfast.  
  
The radio was on, how did it get on? Oh wait she had turned it on when she woke up. She didn't want to heart to hear the silence of the apartment ringing in her ears. She just wanted noise while she packed.  
  
Serena had decided to go back to Japan for a few weeks. She had packed her clothes into two suitcases, called her office and took a few weeks off and now only needed the taxi cab to come and pick her up. It had been a week since the ball. The newspapers had shown her picture, the one where she was standing on the stoop of her building looking into the cameras. She had a confused wide eyed expression on her face. It was right before she was pulled into the limo with Darien. The picture had ran the next day in the major newspapers but she had been unable to look at it without feeling tears gather in her eyes. Finally Lita had taken to cutting out articles that didn't appeal to Serena from the papers. These articles included shots of Lady Jeanette smiling in her jewels and gowns and walking through the town. Darien was never in the shots. He never appeared in public with Lady Jeanette, instead unknown to the press he was hiding at Green Acres where Rei was comforting him by sitting next to him while he spoke of Serena.  
  
Meanwhile Serena walked over to the window and looked through the dripping rain to the street below her. It was a quiet day, Sunday where there weren't a lot of people out. Then again the pouring rain kept people from wandering around the town. The dripping rain seemed to fit her mind and mood. She was the dripping rain. Mina and Lita had already said goodbye to her, she was just waiting for her taxi to arrive and then she could be off. Off to the airport and off on a vacation, maybe a permanent one. Japan was looking more and more appealing with every minute that passed.  
  
Buzz! The ringer went off, her taxi was here. Serena turned her head to look at the small white box next to her door then walked over to it and buzzed the man in. She then picked up her suitcases and looked around the apartment, if she decided to move then she could come back and pack up everything, but for right now she just wanted to leave and get out of here for awhile. Darien's presence was everywhere; she could almost see him sitting on the couch smiling over at her. That lazy quirky smile that made her melt when ever she saw him....  
  
Serena turned away and walked out the door closing it behind her. She had forgotten to turn off her music, but Mina or Lita could do that. She just wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. Down the stairs and out into the rain where the taxi cab driver held an umbrella over her head and took one of the suitcases. She climbed in first and closed the door while he shoved the cases into his trunk and ran around to the driver's side of the cab and climbed in. They took off and had just turned the corner when another car pulled up, a small red one that stopped right next to the curb and turned off its engine. Darien climbed out of the car holding one arm over his head while the other held a bouquet of red roses. He ran up the stairs and pressed the button to Serena's apartment. Nothing happened, no one answered so he tried again and still nothing.  
  
"Serena I know you are in there! Please open up!" Darien yelled pressing his face against the glass and looking in. He didn't see Serena but instead an elderly man with a white beard coming forward. As Darien stepped back the man opened the door and peered through his thick glasses at the rain spattered man.  
  
"Are you looking for someone?" The elderly man asked.  
  
"Yes I am! I'm here to see Miss Serena Tuskino," Darien replied.  
  
"Miss Tuskino? Oh yes apartment 4C. Well come on in and get out of the rain. Miss Tuskino may have not heard the buzzer." The man stepped back as Darien walked in and shook off the rain.  
  
"Thank you sir," Darien replied nodding to the man before heading for the stairs.  
  
"No problem!" The man called as Darien ran up the stairs. "He must be after something important."  
  
Upstairs the door to Serena's apartment was closed but that didn't stop him. He pounded his fist on the door leaving a wet mark on the white paint.  
  
"Serena its me Darien! You have to let me in!" He pounded on the door again. "I know you are in there! Rei says you haven't let the apartment at all! She says you just sit in there and mope! She talked to one of your friends so I know you are in there!"  
  
He was greeted by silence.  
  
"Listen to me Serena! I'm sorry for what I did! She wasn't worth hurting you and I want you to know that I love yo—"The door opened and Darien looked up.  
  
"Serena?"  
  
The blond girl took a step back at the rain soaked wild man with messy black hair falling into his eyes.  
  
"Serena?" He said again before his eyes cleared and he realized this wasn't Serena.  
  
"Serena just left for the airport," Mina replied taking a hold of the door.  
  
"The airport? You mean she's leaving the country?"  
  
Mina nodded. "She's going home to her family. You really hurt her."  
  
"I didn't mean to," Darien ran his hands through his hair. "Oh god I didn't mean to." He looked at Mina who looked a lot like Serena but wasn't. "When did she leave?"  
  
"I don't know, I just came up here to turn off her music, she left it on."  
  
"So she may have left hours ago," Darien sighed turning away from Mina then turned back to her. He looked at her seeing the resemblance of Serena in her blue eyes but she wasn't Serena. He looked down at the roses in his hand then up again at Mina. "Here, you might as well take these. They were for Serena." He handed her the roses and headed off down the stairs while she stood there watching him holding the roses in her hands. Finally she turned and walked back into the apartment.  
  
Mina retrieved a glass vase from above the fridge and filled it with water and put the roses, out of their wrapping into the vase before setting it down on the counter where Serena could see them when she came back, whenever that would be.  
  
The plane landed on another rainy night ten hours later when she arrived home. The night was full of clouds weepy with wet tears. She had spent the whole flight sitting next to a womyn in a brown dress who read her book and slept. Serena meanwhile had just looked out the window seeing the sun set and the clouds creep in until everything went dark and the rain began to fall. At this time she turned away from the window and tried to get some sleep but it didn't work so by the end of the flight she was looking down at the lights below her slowly growing bigger the closer to the ground the plane got to.  
  
The plane landed and the passengers got off with Serena following them carrying a small black bag slung over one shoulder. She walked through the tunnel into the terminal to see a man dressed in a suit with his hands in his pockets looking over at her. His black hair was cut short and streaked with gray. Suddenly tears filled her eyes as she saw the Darien in the face of her father.  
  
Serena brushed away the tears and walked over to him not saying anything but just holding out her arms to hug him which he happily did.  
  
"Welcome home sweetie," Kengi said hugging her tightly.  
  
"Thank you daddy. I'm glad to be home," she replied sniffling as they let go.  
  
Kengi took her bag and they headed off to get her luggage.  
  
Meanwhile in Basalt the rain was pouring down harder as Darien drove his car through the rain. He was temporarily blinded by a car heading the other direction but drove on. He knew she would be there, she was always there. His hands were holding onto the steering wheel so tightly that the skin around his knuckles was white. The roads were wet and the bluffs around him were saturated and dropping mud onto the roads. He was concentrating on the road which was slightly treacherous but in the back of his mind he was thinking of Serena. He was imagining her sitting on the plane or maybe she was already home sitting with her family drinking tea.  
  
Darien suddenly squealed the tires as he almost missed the turn but he made it onto the long tree lined driveway and sped down the lane. The house was only alight with a few lights, Rei preferred darkness to light where she could sit in front of a fire and meditate but he knew she was home. Darien turned off the car and got out shoving the keys into the pocket of a jacket. In their place he pulled out his cell phone and pressed a button. Rei was number five on speed dial; she picked up on the second ring.  
  
"Rei its me Darien please let me in."  
  
Rei looked out the door of the living room where she sat and stood up. "I'll be right out." She turned off the phone and headed towards the front door which opened to reveal Darien standing in the rain by his car looking up at her.  
  
Serena and Kengi arrived home just as the rain was stopping. As soon the car stopped she was climbing out and looking up at her home which was full of lights. With a few drops falling on her head she pulled her bag out of the car and slammed the door shut.  
  
"Go on in I'll bring your luggage in," Kengi said as he closed his door and headed for the trunk.  
  
Serena nodded and walked over to the front door which opened just as she got there. Ikuko was dressed in her trade mark dress and apron with her long blue and gray hair pulled back from her face.  
  
"Usagi!" Ikuko cried and headed towards her and caught her up in a hug.  
  
"Mom!" Serena cried suddenly feeling the tears in her eyes again. She really had missed being home.  
  
"Oh Usagi its so good to see you back home again," Ikuko said hugging her tightly then let go and smiled at Serena. "Usagi why are you crying?"  
  
"I'm just glad to be home," Serena replied brushing away the tears and smiling. "I don't know why I was gone for so long," Serena sighed putting her arm around Ikuko and heading inside.  
  
Darien gulped down the brandy in three gulps and set the glass down. He breathed and brushed his bangs away from his eyes while Rei just watched him from the other side of the table.  
  
"How long were you driving?"  
  
"I came straight here after I found out that Serena was gone," Darien gestured for another finger of brandy. Rei looked at him then picked up the bottle and poured him another draft before she slid off the table top and sat down in her chair.  
  
"I'm guessing you want to know where Serena went?"  
  
"She went home, I knew that. What I want is her address so I know where to find her."  
  
Rei played her fingers over the top of the bottle and bit her bottom lip. "What if she doesn't want to be found?"  
  
Darien set down his glass and sat back in his chair. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Look Darien, I talked to Serena before she left. She came by to see me before she headed for the airport." Rei let go of the bottle and brought her legs up to tuck her chin in between her knees. "She said that she was going home for sometime to see if she might be able to get a job on a paper there. Still it isn't set in stone yet, she may come back but she doesn't really want to see you. We did talk about you."  
  
Darien raised one eyebrow but didn't say anything.  
  
"She didn't cry or anything she just told me that she hoped you and Jeanette have a good life. She doesn't want to be in a country where you and Jeanette will be her rulers."  
  
"I'm not going to marry Jeanette," Darien growled.  
  
Rei sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Maybe you should, you can go for second best instead of the best. You really hurt her Darien and it still sickens me to think of how you fell into Jeanette's trap and kissed her. You danced with the enemy. I believe it's called, appropriately enough, flirting with the enemy and Jeanette along with your mother is the enemy."  
  
"What does my mom have to do with this?" Darien asked.  
  
"Serena told me that during her meeting with the queen she was told about yours and Jeanette impeding engagement but she was afraid to believe it so she didn't tell you. She wasn't sure if you would believe her so she decided to ignore it until that night happened. I guess it was the last straw because when I went to see her the next day she had already made plans to leave. I have to say this; Serena is a very strong womyn. You don't see it on the outside but once you get to know her on the inside you realize it." Rei looked over at Darien. "Your mother owns you Darien, think about it. Either you can abdicate the throne and be with Serena or give into your hidden desires and marry Jeanette and become the ruler of Basalt. The thing you have to remember though is that whatever you do it will hurt someone." Rei stood up and pushed her hair behind her. She walked away from the table headed back towards the living room.  
  
Darien stood up and followed her, grabbing her arm and turning her towards him. He smiled down at Rei who was looking at him with large purple eyes.  
  
"Why didn't I marry you when I had the chance?" He asked her softly.  
  
Rei didn't smile but answered in a serious voice. "Because you know I could never love you. You only love once," she replied then smiled at him.  
  
Darien grinned back and brought her into a hug. "Well I'll always love you Rei no matter what you say. I'm very lucky to have a friend in you."  
  
"So am I," Rei replied hugging him back then pulled back and looked at him for a long time. Finally she turned and walked over to the counter and picked up a piece of paper and a pencil. While Darien watched her she wrote something down, folded it then handed it to him.  
  
Darien unfolded the paper and looked down at the address written on it than up at Rei.  
  
"I know Serena is going to kill me for this but I also believe you two are meant to be so I'm cheating and giving you her address. Whatever you do, I want you to get her back." Rei pointed one finger at him. "I don't want you coming back her unless she's on your arm."  
  
Darien pocketed the paper and grinned at Rei. "I promise you that we'll come back together. I'm not letting her get away from me ever again."  
  
Rei nodded and watched as he walked out of the room headed for the front door. She then slumped down on the counter and sighed.  
  
"Shingo and Mia wanted to come over but they were busy tonight," Ikuko said setting a cup of tea in front of Serena and taking her seat.  
  
Serena picked up the tea and took a sip. "That's okay I can go and visit them tomorrow, its not like I'm leaving right away."  
  
Ikuko exchanged a look with Kengi while Serena picked up a doughnut and took a bite.  
  
"Usagi how long do you plan on staying?" Kengi asked.  
  
"I don't know, maybe a few weeks, maybe more. I was thinking about maybe finding a job on a paper here and moving back to Tokyo. I could move back home and live in my old room. Being on my own is kind of hard you know," Serena replied playing with her cup.  
  
Kengi looked at Ikuko then spoke up again. "I'm happy that you want to come home dear but aren't you happy in Basalt? From your letters and the media shots we are getting you seem to be very happy in Basalt."  
  
"Your boyfriend the prince seems like a very nice man also. From all the newspapers I've read they talk about how he is well educated and prepared to take over the throne one day," Ikuko added.  
  
Serena dropped her doughnut on her plate and looked into her tea cup. "Yea did you also notice that he's a player and has no plans to marry? He uses womyn like he drinks coffee, once he's finished the cup is left to rot. He is a horrible man that the press is trying to make look good."  
  
"Usagi are you saying this because of what happened with that English womyn?"  
  
"How did you know?" Serena asked looking up at her mother.  
  
Ikuko sighed and rubbed her arm. "It was in the papers that the prince is to marry that English womyn. What is her name?"  
  
"Jeanette," Serena replied.  
  
"Yes, of course. Well I read in the paper that the prince of Basalt, your boyfriend..."  
  
"My former boyfriend," Serena interrupted.  
  
"Your former boyfriend," Ikuko concided. "Was to marry an English girl. I at first thought it was a lie but apparently it's true."  
  
"Yes it is very true, they are getting married whenever and I hope they are very happy together. Now if you'll excuse me I want to get unpacked and go to bed." Serena stood up leaving her tea cup and doughnut sitting on the table. She walked out of the room towards the stairs while Kengi and Ikuko watched her.  
  
"Poor girl, she must really be hurting," Ikuko sighed turning towards Kengi.  
  
"There's not much we can do Ikuko, she has to get through this herself," Kengi replied reaching across the table to take her hand. "Lets just leave her alone for a few days. She's old enough to make a decision about where she wants to live."  
  
"It would be nice to have her here at home again but she seemed so happy in Basalt," Ikuko sighed again and looked up at the ceiling where above them Serena was unpacking her things. "I just want her to be happy and I thought she could be happy with that prince."  
  
Kengi just nodded and looked up towards the ceiling also.  
  
I'll be back next week with the next chapter. Please in the mean time read and review or send all comments, questions, flames, and suggestions to SaphriansWaterReflectionhotmail.com. Thank you! 


	12. An Everly Tale Twelve

An Everly Tale Chapter Twelve By A Shot of Amber  
  
I'm living in a hell hole of a dorm. My toilet in my apartment/dorm just overflowed again. I'm writing this while I wait for maintenance to come and fix and mop up the mess. I hate toilets! I want outhouses back! They may smell but they don't overflow! Anyway enough of my complaining, please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to SaphriansWaterReflectionhotmail.com! Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Twelve  
  
Darien drove back through the rain storm to his home. He only once looked at the dashboard clock which read 9:00pm. It wasn't that late but it felt later, the rain clouds made everything look darker and bleaker. He didn't really care though, Serena's address was in his pocket and he only had to say goodbye and be off. He was headed for Japan but first he had to confront a few people and say goodbye.  
  
Darien turned into the back entrance to the castle after being waved past some guards who tipped their hats and nodded to him. Darien drove under the portico and parked the car out of the rain, ready for him to leave again. He climbed out of the car and ran inside the same hallway that Serena had entered when she came to meet his mother. He walked past the quiet dark rooms and to the same room where Serena had met and been cut down by the queen. The door was pushed open and Darien entered slightly rain splattered and disheveled. The queen looked up from where she sat sipping sherry with Lady Jeanette and her mother.  
  
"Endymion! Where have you been? We just finished dinner and you were no where to be found?"  
  
Jeanette smiled and moved over on the love seat where she sat. " Please come and join us Darien," she looked him over, "or maybe you'll want to change first and then join us, it looks like you took a run in the rain."  
  
Darien looked at Jeanette and smiled a knowing smile. "Actually I don't have time to sit and drink with you Lady Jeanette. I just came home to pack before I leave again."  
  
"Where are you going Darien? I thought we were going to talk about the wedding plans?"  
  
"Wedding plans?" Darien echoed then smiled again. "Lady Jeanette I have no idea what you are talking about. I have only one person I want to marry and she isn't you."  
  
"Endymion!" The queen gasped.  
  
"Mother you may as well hear this. I listen to you for everything but I'm not marrying this tramp. I found the womyn of my life and because of you and Jeanette I've lost her once but I'm going to get her back and that requires for me to get rid of some things." Darien looked at Jeanette who was staring at him in a shocked way. "When I met you I had no plans to marry you and I still don't. I was happy with Serena and I still am. You may have thought that some kiss on a ballroom floor would help but it didn't. It only disgusted me and I never want to see you again. You might be looking to become a queen but that's not ever going to happen. Mother," he turned to the queen, "I abdicate the throne. I don't want to be the king of this country when I can't be with the womyn I love." With that Darien turned and walked out of the room.  
  
He ran upstairs to his room leaving the queen and Jeanette sitting in the room staring at the door in a shocked silence. Meanwhile above them Darien packed up a few things grabbed his wallet and left the room holding a suitcase in one hand with a determined look on his face. He ran down the stairs and headed out to his car passing the room where the queen and Jeanette still sat. The queen saw him pass by and stood up leaving Jeanette in mid-sentence. She ran out into the hallway just as Darien was reaching for the door knob.  
  
"Endymion don't do this!"  
  
Darien turned around and looked at his mother standing there in a black cocktail dress with some black netting in her hair.  
  
"Mother don't try and stop me. I know that you hate Serena but nothing is going to stop me from getting her back."  
  
"What is so wonderful about the girl? She's not royalty, you know that and you know that a person born to royalty is privileged. She is not privileged like we are and Jeanette is. She is just a commoner who will break your heart."  
  
"She will never break my heart," Darien set down his suitcase and walked over to his mother and took a hold of her arms. "Mother you have to understand, I love her just like you loved father."  
  
The queen didn't say anything but just looked away. Darien went on. " You did love him mother, I know you did! I remember the way you and he were when I was young. You were both really in love and it showed and that's how I feel about Serena."  
  
The queen sighed. "When your father died I was devastated. He was the light of my life."  
  
"So is Serena," Darien replied.  
  
"I don't think I ever got over his death. He was such a kind and wonderful man, you remind me a lot of him."  
  
"That's because I am his flesh and like him I love someone out of my reach."  
  
The queen sighed again. "He was just a commoner when I married him but that didn't matter. He didn't want the power of being king, he just wanted my love."  
  
"And that's what I want from Serena," Darien shook his mother slightly. "I just want her to love me and want to be with me. I don't care if I ever become king but I can't become king if I'm not happy with my queen." Darien let go of his mother and looked down at her. "You might want to tell Lady Jeanette to go back to England and find someone else. When I come back here I'm going to be married to the love of my life." With that Darien turned and walked back towards the door, he picked up his suitcase and opened the door letting himself out while the queen stood there watching him.  
  
Serena woke up the next morning to hear people talking and a strange sucking noise. She was in her old room surrounded by toys and old comics she hadn't read in years. Her old blanket was still on the bed with its moons and bunnies, a play on her Japanese name. She climbed out of bed and walked out into the hallway to see her parents standing in the bathroom around the toilet.  
  
"Mom, dad what's going on?" Serena asked walking over to them and peeking over her mothers shoulder to see her father using the plunger.  
  
"The toilet backed up again," Ikuko replied while Serena looked down at the floor which was covered in water.  
  
"This blasted thing must back up at least once a week," Kengi grumbled as he pulled the plunger out of the toilet and flushed it.  
  
"Well it wouldn't back up if you would get the plumbing replaced," Ikuko sighed.  
  
"You know the plumbing is fine. Just don't use to much toilet paper before you flush, it clogs the bowl," Kengi replied setting the plunger next to the toilet and placing his hands on his hips. "Go get the mop and we can clean this thing up."  
  
"Yes dear," Ikuko replied moving past Serena to head down the stairs to the cleaning closet. "Usagi why don't you get dressed while we clean up. Shingo and Mia will be here soon for breakfast."  
  
"Do you need any help?" Serena asked looking down the stairs at Ikuko.  
  
"Can you actually cook now Usagi?" Kengi asked in shock.  
  
"Dad," Serena sighed. "Of course I can! Remember? Mom taught me."  
  
"Yea and I had to take the batteries out of the smoke alarm so it would stop going off every second."  
  
"Kengi! That wasn't nice even if it is true. Usagi is a great cook now, she learned from the best," Ikuko cried. "Usagi you can make the toast, everything else is done."  
  
Serena smiled down at her mother than turned and headed for her room. She had unpacked last night, shoving her clothes into old drawers and the closet which still had a vanilla scented sachet hanging from the bar. She now opened the closet, smelling the vanilla and pulled out a blue blouse and some blue jeans. She quickly got dressed and combed and styled her hair into its original style. A quick touch of lipstick, cherries in the snow, and she was ready. Serena left her room and headed down stairs to fix the toast and set the table while up stairs her mother and father moped up the water that was starting to leak into the hallway.  
  
She was putting the toast into the toaster when the doorbell rang. She quickly pushed the button down then headed for the front door. The doorbell rang again just has she put her hand on the door knob to open it reveling Shingo and his wife Mia.  
  
"Hey oneesan!" Shingo said stepping forward to give her a hug.  
  
"Shingo are you always going to be taller than me?" Serena laughed as she hugged him back.  
  
"Usagi you have to remember that when we were young you were taller then him," Mia replied.  
  
"Those were the days," Serena nodded letting go of Shingo and reaching over to hug Mia.  
  
"Yea when you were my weird older sister," Shingo started.  
  
"And you were my annoying little brother," Serena finished and let go of Mia. "Come on in, mom and dad are cleaning up the bathroom while I finish breakfast."  
  
"Let me guess, the toilet backed up again?" Shingo asked stepping inside and looking up the stairs.  
  
"Yea, I woke up to dad fixing it."  
  
"Then I think I'll stay downstairs so I don't have to help." Shingo replied heading for the kitchen.  
  
"Shingo I know your down there! Come up here and help me so your mother can finish breakfast!" Kengi yelled from the bathroom.  
  
"I knew I should have been quieter," Shingo sighed heading back for the stairs.  
  
"Even if you hadn't said anything your dad would have heard you coming in and Serena talking to us. Go on up there and help him, Serena and I will finish breakfast," Mia said pushing him gently towards the stairs.  
  
"What ever you say dear," Shingo replied blowing a kiss to Mia who smiled up at him then took Serena's arm and headed for the kitchen.  
  
"What needs to be done?" Mia asked as they entered the kitchen.  
  
"Well the toast is finished so if you want to butter it I can set the table," Serena replied pointing to the toaster.  
  
"Alright," Mia nodded and began pulling the toast out of the toaster. "So how long are you planning on staying here?"  
  
"At the least a few weeks. I'm actually thinking about moving back in with my parents and getting a job here in Tokyo."  
  
"But you have such a great job in Basalt! I thought you were happy there?" Mia replied.  
  
"It is a nice job but maybe I'm not ready for that much stress," Serena pulled some plates out of a cupboard and set them down on the counter. "I'm still young and living in a new country with a different language is really difficult especially when its English."  
  
"Usagi you are great in English, you know the language inside and out." Mia set down her knife and turned around. "I think I know the real reason you don't want to go back. I know you don't want to hear about this but I read in the paper about your break up with the prince."  
  
"It was in the paper here?"  
  
"It was in the celebrity gossip section of the Tokyo Times. The paper said that you and Prince Endymion had broken up over the fact that he was to marry an English royal."  
  
"Yea, he is. Her name is Jeanette and I hope they are very happy together." Serena picked up her plates and headed for the dining room while Mia followed her.  
  
"How can you say that? Shingo told me that you and the prince were very happy together. I used to look at the papers with the two of you together and you looked so happy, a lot like Shingo and I."  
  
"Mia," Serena set down the plates with a bang. "Darien and I are not Shingo and you. He used me when the whole time he was engaged to a beautiful English girl. I'm not going back there to see him marry someone he loves more than me."  
  
"Your jealous," Mia replied as it dawned on her. "Your jealous that he used you when he was supposed to be marrying another womyn."  
  
"Of course I'm jealous! I loved him, and I might still do," Serena pulled out a chair and sat down. "He was the first guy to pay me some attention. You know how it is, you had Shingo all through your school years from elementary school till you graduated high school. I wanted that, but only one guy paid me attention and that was Umino before he started dating Naru in eighth grade. Then I was alone again until this year when I met Darien and we clicked. He liked me and I liked him and before I knew it I was in love with him. I felt really happy for the first time in a long time. I had a great job, great friends, and a wonderful guy. Then I find out that he's a prince and I'm thrust into the national spotlight. That didn't stop me though; I still loved him and would have done anything for him, including meeting his mother, the queen."  
  
"How did the meeting go?"  
  
"Terrible, she basically ground me into the floor by telling me about Darien's engagement to Lady Jeanette. I didn't say anything to him because I thought it was all wrong but then at the ball he kissed her and I realized it was true. So I packed up and left and came home. I never want to go back their again. It's to painful."  
  
"Oh Usagi," Mia reached over and took her hand. "I never knew how hurt you felt. Now I know why you're running away from your life back there."  
  
"Wouldn't you?" Serena asked raising her head out of her hand.  
  
"Yea probably. I don't think I could take it either, I mean if Shingo did that to me I would be devastated. I guess I can understand how you feel."  
  
"Then you know why I never want to go back to Basalt."  
  
Mia was about to say something when Ikuko entered the room. "Girls what are you doing? Usagi you still haven't even set the table!"  
  
Serena let go of Mia's hand and stood up. "Sorry mom, I'll get to it now. Thanks Mia."  
  
Mia stood up also and smiled. "No problem Usagi." She then turned and walked into the kitchen followed by Ikuko who gave Serena a questioning look before walking into the kitchen.  
  
Serena sighed softly then began setting out the plates.  
  
He could have taken his private plane to Japan but something told Darien to disregard it. Instead he drove to the airport at eleven o'clock at night and parked his car in the closets parking spot he could find. It was still raining as Darien grabbed his luggage and ran through the drops that pelted his leather coat. Inside the terminal he bought a ticket and waited for the next flight to Japan which took off at 1am.  
  
For the next two hours he sat on a hard plastic chair, occasionally dozing off but mostly thinking of Serena until it was time for his flight to leave. Once on the plane which was less than full, Darien choose a window seat and settled himself in for a long flight. He pulled on the headphones offering music and turned the channel to a classical music channel and closed his eyes. Maybe he slept or maybe he didn't but he dreamt about Serena standing in front of him with her back to him. Than she turned around and she was wearing the dress from the ball but as she smiled at him with happiness in her eyes she disappeared and he was left alone. After that Darien pulled off the headphones and stayed awake throughout the rest of the flight. He was awake to see the sun rise in the east while the moved closer to Japan.  
  
It was almost noon when he walked through the tunnel into Tokyo's International airport. All around him people were speaking in a language that he had no idea of. He had majored in French, Spanish and Italian but not in Japanese which he realized would make this trip very hard for him, harder then it already was. This didn't stop Darien from walking out of the terminal into the sunlight city. He hailed a cab and somehow made it understood that he wanted a hotel. The cab driver dropped him off at a nice looking building in the heart of the city and only grumbled a little bit when Darien paid him in Euros.  
  
Inside the building the hotel clerk who spoke English helped him get a room where he set down his luggage and fell into the bed, falling asleep almost immediately. Nine hours later when he woke up it was almost dark outside with the last of the sun's rays breaking through the buildings. Darien took a shower and changed into a crisp white shirt and a pair of blue jeans. His other clothes were folded and placed back in his suitcase which was left on the bed, he would come back later for it.  
  
Now he left the hotel and walked through the city headed for the florist shop the hotel clerk had told him about. He picked out a dozen red roses wrapped in green plastic and paid for them with his newly converted Japanese currency. He also stopped at another store before he hailed a cab and handed the driver the paper with the address written in Kanji by the hotel clerk. The driver got it immediately and began driving out of the city into the suburbs. Soon they arrived in front of a nice looking house with a balcony in the front. Darien looked up at the house for the first time seeing Serena's girlhood home. This was where she had grown up...  
  
"Kinkei-san," the taxi driver said turning around in his seat.  
  
"Oh yes just a moment please." Darien counted out some money and handed it to the driver and climbed out of the cab.  
  
As the driver drove off he stood there looking up at the house deciding how he would pull this off when all of a sudden the lights in the room by the balcony turned on. Darien stepping into the shadows created by the fence boarding the property just as the sliding door opened and someone stepped out.  
  
Serena wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and stepped out onto the cool pavement. It was still early in spring making the air outside slightly cool. She had pulled on her pajamas preparing to go to bed but something made her want a breath of fresh air. So she had put on her shawl and walking out to the balcony. Now outside she took a few deep breaths feeling the fresh air in her lungs.  
  
Down below Darien watched has she walked over to the railing and rested her arms on it. This was the perfect time. He pulled out the boom box he was holding and set it down on the ground. Darien reached down and pressed the on button allowing the first strands of "My Confession" to fill the air.  
  
Above him on the balcony Serena straightened up and looked around her. She knew this song! She had just bought the CD a few weeks ago and fell in love with it, especially this song. Serena looked below her to the ground where the music was coming from the darkness when all of a sudden a figure stepped out of the shadows holding something in its hand. As the figure stepped into the light Serena gasped and let go of the railing to take a step back.  
  
Below her Darien held out the roses and put his hand on his heart and fell to his knees.  
  
"Now I feel myself surrender each time I see your face.  
I am captured by your beauty and your all awe-aspiring grace.  
And I feel my heart is falling into place.  
I can't hide now hear my confession."  
  
Serena put her hand over her mouth as Darien sang along with the lyrics. When she had bought the CD right before she and Darien broke up she had mentioned that she loved this song. She had said she wanted it to be a theme of her life. Darien had laughed and said she was only looking at the romantic-ness in her life. Now he was below her singing this song, a song she had thought he forgot about.  
  
"My princess! Say you'll come down to me or else I shall climb up to you!" Darien stood up and held out both arms wide while she looked down at him.  
  
Above him Serena moved her hand away from her mouth and looked down at him. He was standing there; both arms open wide while the song played on. She didn't have to think; instead Serena turned around and ran back into the house. Meanwhile Darien stood still as she ran down the stairs and out the front door which had just been opened by her mother and father who were wondering why this song was being played in front of their house. Serena ran up to him and stopped, her shawl had fallen to the crook of her arms but she didn't notice. Everything inside her was focused on him.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
Darien lowered his arms and looked down into her eyes.  
  
"I came for you. Basalt is a lonely country without you to bring the sunshine in it."  
  
"But you have Jeanette..." Serena began but trailed off.  
  
"And I don't want her. Why would I want second best when I can have the best." Darien lowered himself to on knee. "Please come back to me Serena "Usagi" Tuskino and say you'll never leave me again. I could not stand to ever loose you again."  
  
Serena looked down at him on his knee looking up at her. Behind her, her mother and father had stepped out onto to the porch and were watching them. Kengi had placed his arm around Ikuko who was clutching her hands to her chest.  
  
"Darien I..." Serena began then stopped and looked behind her to her parents. Ikuko smiled at her while Kengi nodded his head. Serena turned back to Darien and looked at him from where he was still kneeling. Slowly Serena smiled and lifted Darien up to his feet. "Your highness, I accept your proposal," she replied softly.  
  
Darien didn't say anything for a moment but just looked at her with her hands on his arms then suddenly he let out a whoop of joy and crushed her into a hug. Behind them Ikuko sighed in relief and wiped her eyes while Kengi squeezed her shoulders gently. Darien let go of Serena and held out the roses for her which she took and laughed softly.  
  
"Was this your plan to win with me with roses?"  
  
"And music," Darien replied. "If you hadn't come out in the beginning I would have stayed out here all night until you came back to me."  
  
"And what about Jeanette?" Serena asked quietly.  
  
"You were right, she's trash. I should have known since the beginning that I could only love one womyn."  
  
"And that womyn is not Jeanette?"  
  
"No," Darien shook his head and took a hold of her arms. "I knew deep down that you were the one since that day at the restaurant when you forgot your wallet. I just didn't want to listen to my heart for fear of being hurt."  
  
"I could never hurt you Darien," Serena whispered softly.  
  
"And I'll never hurt you again Serena," Darien whispered back.  
  
Serena smiled and reached up on tiptoes to kiss him. He pulled her into his arms as their lips met. The kiss was sweet and gentle, a fusing of two souls joining as one. And meanwhile Kengi and Ikuko walked into the house while Serena stood with her man outside in the night air, her shawl falling to the ground.  
  
The song I used is called "My Confession" by Josh Groban on his album Closer. I thought it fit the mood of the story and Darien's confession to Serena. In the mean time the last chapter will be out next week. Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, flames, and suggestions to SaphriansWaterReflectionhotmail.com. Thank you! 


	13. An Everly Tale Thirteen

An Everly Tale Chapter Thirteen By A Shot of Amber  
  
This is it! The last chapter of a great, at least I think so, story. I hope you enjoyed it also! I really enjoyed writing this story so please be kind and give me your reviews or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to SaphriansWaterReflectionhotmail.com. Thank you!  
  
An Everly Tale Chapter Thirteen  
  
They took a plane back to Basalt a few days later. Serena slept most of the ride, her head on Darien's shoulder while he read the paper that he had bought before boarding. The story hadn't gotten out yet which was good. It would give him and Serena time to escape and hide out from the press. He had already decided what to do; he just needed to clear it with his mother who had yet to hear the news.  
  
When they landed in Basalt Darien woke Serena up and together they walked off the plane to the terminal and out into the bright sunshine.  
  
"This is real difference from the last time I was here," Serena said looking up into the blue sky. "It was raining."  
  
"The sun is out to greet us for coming back."  
  
"It is wonderful," Serena sighed then took his hand as they walked through the parking lot to his car. With their luggage thrown in the trunk they took off headed towards the palace. As they got closer Darien began to feel a little nervous, this was a big thing he was doing. Serena must have noticed his nerves because she took his hand which was resting on the gears and gently wrapped her fingers around it. He looked at her and she mouthed the words calm down. He smiled and kissed her hand before turning his eyes back to the road.  
  
They arrived at the palace a shortly there after and parked by the back door in the same place the limo had dropped her off when she first visited the queen. Now was her turn to be nervous but Darien reached over and took her hand. Immediately the nervous feeling went away as they walked inside and headed for Lady Jeanette's private sitting room.  
  
"Jeanette and her family should still be here so I'll go in first and then you follow when I call your name."  
  
Serena nodded and swallowed around the lump in her throat. Once outside the doors to the sitting room Darien squeezed her hand then let go and opened the door and walked in. Meanwhile Serena stepped back into the shadows of the hall just far enough where she could still hear the conversation.  
  
"Endymion!" Jeanette cried standing up so the skirt of her tennis dress swirled around her legs.  
  
"Hello Lady Jeanette," Darien replied gravely.  
  
"Oh Darien you don't need to call me Lady Jeanette, just call me Jeanette," Jeanette pouted. "I'm so glad you came back. Mummy and daddy were worried that you would never come back and then we would have to go and find you. That would be terribly expensive but I was insistent since you need to be here for the planning of our wedding!"  
  
"Yes about the wedding. I should tell you ...Jeanette...that we're not getting married."  
  
"What do you mean?" Jeanette asked looking shocked.  
  
"Jeanette I want you to meet someone. She's the reason we are not getting married."  
  
"Oh and who is that?" Jeanette asked in a haughty tone.  
  
"My wife, Serena Tuskino Shields." Darien turned towards the door. "Come on in Serena."  
  
Serena stepped into the room and walked over to Darien who put his arm around her and smiled at Jeanette.  
  
Jeanette wasn't so happy. She stepped back and the smile dropped off her face. "You married a commoner! You married this trash?!" Jeanette cried pointing her finger at Serena.  
  
"Yes I did, and she's not trash, she's the love of my life," Darien replied.  
  
Serena smiled at Jeanette who was sputtering with anger. "I'm sorry if this comes as a shock to you Lady Jeanette but Darien and I didn't really know what we were doing till a few days before we left Japan. I'm sure you must feel very lucky to be able to be the first to congratulate us."  
  
"Jeanette you're a very lovely lady but I don't think we would have worked. I didn't want a womyn who only wanted me fore my title. I wanted someone who loves me for being me," Darien replied.  
  
"Than why did you marry her? She's just out to get the title of queen," Jeanette replied in a cold voice.  
  
"Who says I'm going to be queen?" Serena asked as she and Darien turned and walked out of the room. "Didn't you hear?" Serena turned around and smiled at Jeanette. "Darien abdicated the throne."  
  
Jeanette didn't say anything but just stood there staring in wide eyed shock at the empty doorway.  
  
Outside in the hallway Serena laughed and held onto Darien's arm, the diamond of her ring gleaming the sunlight from the windows.  
  
Meanwhile Jeanette sat down in her chair and put her head in her hands. What had just happened?  
  
"So I thought we could live in Green Acres while the press has a field day over my abdication."  
  
Serena smiled and reached for Darien's hand entwining her fingers through his. "I like that. I want to stay as far away from the press as possible."  
  
"Then you will there. Green Acres is a private estate where we can be alone."  
  
"With no Lady Jeanette," Serena laughed snuggling closer to Darien.  
  
Darien also laughed and wrapped his arm around her. "Definetly no Lady Jeanette and we can have our own life there, away from the press and public life."  
  
"Away from the world," Serena sighed looking out the windows of her apartment.  
  
"Yes away from the world." Darien lifted the hand which wore her wedding band. "You know I never thought I would marry. I always pictured myself alone for all my life going from one womyn to the other."  
  
"But that all changed when you met a girl from Japan who captured your heart," Serena replied.  
  
"And that girl from Japan changed my whole world making me realize what love is," Darien added  
  
"And they lived happily ever after," Serena finished than after a pause added. "It feels like a fairy tale."  
  
"Maybe it is a fairy tale."  
  
Serena looked up at Darien. "I like the idea of it being a fairy tale, it makes everything all the more romantic." She smiled up at him. "I love you my prince."  
  
Darien smiled back down at her. "And I love you my princess."  
  
And gently he kissed her, a kiss of an eternity.  
  
The end! I'm on cloud nine right now to finish the story! I'm glad you stayed for the ride; if it wasn't for the readers I wouldn't have anything. Thank you everyone! Hugs Now please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to SaphriansWaterReflectionhotmail.com! Thank you! 


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